[SM-USERS] SquirrelMail on Windows - Default_pref problem

[Alexander Fichman]

Hi, I am new to SquirrelMail and this mailing-list. I have searched the
mailing-lists, google (groups & web) and found nothing to help me with this
problem (though found it mentioned).
I've installed SquirrelMail with the following configuration:

Windows 2000 Server SP4
SquirrelMail 1.41
PHP 4.32 + GETTEXT + IMAP + LDAP
IMAP Server: Exchange 5.5
Web Server: Apache 3.28

When trying to access the mailbox (any mailbox), I get this error:

Error opening D:/DATA/DATA/default_pref
Could not create initial preference file!
D:/DATA/DATA/ should be writable by user httpd
Please contact your system administrator and report this error.

PHP configuration page shows gettext, ldap and IMAP loaded and enabled.
Default_Pref errors both in default configuration (../DATA/Default_pref) and
the location above. Directory-Browsing in Apache shows the file is readable
(in ../DATA/). Thought maybe the fault lies with the PHP version, so
installed PHP 4.23 instead; same error. All permissions are set to Everyone
(for testing purposes). I am at a loss...

Thanks,
Alexander Fichman

[Dan HINCKLEY]

Post by Alexander Fichman
Windows 2000 Server SP4
SquirrelMail 1.41
PHP 4.32 + GETTEXT + IMAP + LDAP
IMAP Server: Exchange 5.5
Web Server: Apache 3.28
Error opening D:/DATA/DATA/default_pref
Could not create initial preference file!
D:/DATA/DATA/ should be writable by user httpd
Please contact your system administrator and report this error.
PHP configuration page shows gettext, ldap and IMAP loaded and enabled.
Default_Pref errors both in default configuration (../DATA/Default_pref)
and the location above. Directory-Browsing in Apache shows the file is
readable (in ../DATA/). Thought maybe the fault lies with the PHP version,
so installed PHP 4.23 instead; same error. All permissions are set to
Everyone (for testing purposes). I am at a loss...

We run that config, though we're using IIS 5 and SM 1.2.7 (don't recall the
PHP version). Might help to explicitly set the httpd user to be allowed to
write to the /data/ folder?


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Dan Hinckley
t: (41 22) 999 0183
Information Management Group f: (41 22) 999 0010
IUCN, The World Conservation Union e: ***@hq.iucn.org
1196 Gland, Switzerland w: http://iucn.org/

[i***@uklinux.net]

Post by Alexander Fichman
Error opening D:/DATA/DATA/default_pref
Could not create initial preference file!
D:/DATA/DATA/ should be writable by user httpd

Do you actually have a d:/data/data directory? If not, I think you may
have put the wrong value into one of the lines in config.php

[Jonathan Angliss]

Hello Alexander,
On Monday, July 28, 2003, Alexander Fichman wrote...

Post by Alexander Fichman
Error opening D:/DATA/DATA/default_pref
Could not create initial preference file!
D:/DATA/DATA/ should be writable by user httpd
Please contact your system administrator and report this error.
PHP configuration page shows gettext, ldap and IMAP loaded and
enabled. Default_Pref errors both in default configuration
(../DATA/Default_pref) and the location above. Directory-Browsing in
Apache shows the file is readable

It has to be writable too... And is there supposed to be two data in
the paths?

[Alexander Fichman]

I followed one of the How-To's I found at squirrelmail.com. It said to use
this location (double 'Data', so SM directories 'Attach' & 'DATA' both lie
under 'DATA'). I also read a lot of the SM ML posts before posting (as I
should :), so found out that if custom path (my D:\DATA) fails, SM then
tries the default location (../DATA/) looking for Default_Pref. I've put it
in both locations.
My HTTPD (Apache) runs under the LocalSystem account, which is the most
powerful [local] account on a NT based system. It has full permissions for
both locations and files. Should I use another user, instead? I can see the
file when I use Apache dir-browsing, and it opens just fine...

Thanks,
alexf


-----Original Message-----
From: Jonathan Angliss [mailto:***@squirrelmail.org]
Sent: Monday, July 28, 2003 4:54 PM
To: Alexander Fichman
Cc: squirrelmail-***@lists.sourceforge.net
Subject: Re: [SM-USERS] SquirrelMail on Windows - Default_pref problem

Hello Alexander,
On Monday, July 28, 2003, Alexander Fichman wrote...

Post by Alexander Fichman
Error opening D:/DATA/DATA/default_pref
Could not create initial preference file!
D:/DATA/DATA/ should be writable by user httpd
Please contact your system administrator and report this error.
PHP configuration page shows gettext, ldap and IMAP loaded and
enabled. Default_Pref errors both in default configuration
(../DATA/Default_pref) and the location above. Directory-Browsing in
Apache shows the file is readable

It has to be writable too... And is there supposed to be two data in
the paths?

[p***@angrynerds.com]

Post by Alexander Fichman
D:/DATA/DATA/ should be writable by user httpd

...

Post by Alexander Fichman
the location above. Directory-Browsing in Apache shows the file is
readable (in ../DATA/)

note that it has to be writable by the web server (not just that file, but
the directory it resides in.

otherwise, i recommend linux. ;>

- paul