User unable to use FrontPage as of a month ago

[kenel]

Hello everyone,

I'm using the latest CURRENT build of CPanel/WHM, and just recieved an angry letter from a customer that his FrontPage hasn't been working for the past month or so. It just won't connect. I've tried removing it manually, downgrading it using /scripts/downgradefp , and a lot of other possible "solutions" I found on this message board. Nothing has worked so far. He said he was using FrontPage/Office 12.

Now he sends me a mail to a directory on his domain, that - I'm unclear whether or not it was created with frontpage because he's yet to respond - gives a 403 error when you go to it. Tailing the Apache log provides the following:

[Thu Dec 21 23:54:24 2006] [crit] [client 68.255.96.15] (13)Permission denied: /home/chupacab/public_html/ryanuhill/.htaccess pcfg_openfile: unable to check htaccess file, ensure it is readable

(I've created a .htaccess file there, CHMOD'd it, and it's still giving that error).

I'm just downright confused. How can I get CPanel and FrontPage to play along together?

Thanks.

 

[hicom]

What are the permissions and ownership on that .htaccess file ?

also, is the /home/user/ directory have the proper permission and ownership. Make sure all sections of his website have the proper ownership user:user or user:nobody

 

[jrf]

I have all but given up on Front Page. I have about 10 customers now that can not use Front Page. The problem started about 3-4 months ago. I have all the latest builds and so forth. What is so frustrating is that some users can use Front Page without a problem, and other can not not. I have not been able to track this back to one specific problem, although everyone that can not use Front Page has the same problm; it appears timeouts prevent Front Page from connecting. Some of them can not connect to start with others can transfer 3-5 files and then timeout.

MS says it is ending Front Page support and has released a replacement program. I can not remember the name of the new program. It has a built in transfer system more like dream weaver so server side software is not required. I read about this in a magazine and have not been able to find a copy of the new software to buy.

Any one have any suggestions to any of this?

 

[kenel]

I've tried several thigns I found on this board, and the permissions were set correctly on the public_html. I was just tailing apache's error_log, and I found this:

[Sun Dec 24 13:25:15 2006] [error] [client XXXXXXX] Premature end of script headers: /usr/local/frontpage/version5.0/apache-fp/_vti_bin/fpexe

Could this be part of it?

(XXXXXX replaced IPs)

 

[hicom]

Likely, check there are no mod_security rules breaking FrontPage (seen that before).

Also make sure FrontPage installed properly, when you install or uninstall FrontPage Extensions on a site, are you seeing any errors in apache logs or somewhere else.

Tamouh

 

[kenel]

I'm not seeing any strange apache log errors. I use the default rules set in mod_sec from CPanel:

Customer is using frontpage 2003. I'm using WHM 10.8.0 cPanel 10.9.0-C117.

This is so frustrating!

 

[jrf]

Yep, it is strange as I do not see any errors either. The problems my customers get is due to time outs, at least that is how it appears. I wonder if a windows update on their PCs caused the problem as not all of my customers have this problem. One customer started having the problem when they purchased a new PC and installed FP on it. However they do not have the old PC to go back and try it from, but I sort of think the old PC might work fine. Then again, this could be an internal FTP issue...

 

[Silver_2000]

frontpage was EOL about 6 months ago
Its not been updated or secured against expoits since then
Frontpage and Htaccess are mutually explusive

If I were you I would recomplie apache without the frontpage extensions

That way you dont get exploited like so many have
users can still publish with FTP
Doug

 

[kenel]

Thank you for the suggestion, but I don't feel like telling my customer "f*** you".

frontpage was EOL about 6 months ago
Its not been updated or secured against expoits since then
Frontpage and Htaccess are mutually explusive

If I were you I would recomplie apache without the frontpage extensions

That way you dont get exploited like so many have
users can still publish with FTP
Doug

 

[Silver_2000]

Thank you for the suggestion, but I don't feel like telling my customer "f*** you".

You are free to view the advice however you see fit

However while thinking bad things about me - do a search for frontpage exploits
They have been OWNED big time - If you choose to expose your server to these - against the advice of Microsoft then I wish you luck staying under the radar