UBB.threads PHP Forum Software Community Forums UBB.classic UBB.classic 5 Support I have no problem, but my users can't do anything.

I have logged into the bulletin board as my users. I can post messages and replies as any of my users. However, my users report that they cannot access anything.

I told the users that the username and password are both case sensitive and spaces count, as well. The users still report not being able to view or post notes.

I see a possibility of there being some kind of incapatibility problem. One is using a Macintosh with Netscape 6. The other user is using a PC. I don't know which operating system and which browser.

A more likely problem is a communication problem. Could be the users do not understand my instructions for using the bulletin board. I don't know what I could tell them so they would understand. The bulletin board seems to easy for a user to use. If you type your username and password correctly, then all you have to do is click all over the board and everything opens up.

Please try to help me get the users onto the board. Can you recommend some text I can quote that is effective for non-technical users?

What compatibility issues could there be?

Is there any way that my logging on as a user will work from my computer, but the user's logging on from their computer will not work?


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Ron

[This message has been edited by ronlewis (edited 12-08-2000).]

[This message has been edited by ronlewis (edited 12-08-2000).]

Not working is sort of obscure - can you ask your users exactly what they are or are not doing that causes things not to work?

Is this just a problem with posting or...?

Also, your board version and URL would be helpful.

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Charles Capps, Moderator, Post-Install Troubleshooting
PLEASE NOTE: Due to time limitations, I do not provide UBB support via email.

Here are excerpts from my user's e-mail to me:

"Yes I was in the board, I typed a message to post I just couldn't get it to post."

"Hey, I just wanted to let you know that I did get into the bulletin board but I was not able to send/post a response."

"My husband thinks it may have to do with you having a PC and us having a Mac. He tried Netscape 6 and it failed, too. At some point he'll try again."

"I tried again to get into the Ultimate Bulletin and it still does not let me in.
We are able to get onto other bulletin boards. We have version 4.72 Netscape Communicator."

"I attempted to log on as Carla with password carla, and it did not respond properly. I got to the page that said I have been confirmed, but it did not forward me to the correct page. When I click the link ("Click here"), I am brought back to the screen that asks for the password again. Is this some kind of practical joke?"

If you can work with the users' comments, great. In the meantime, I can see what else I can find out from the users.

I am able to use the exact same usernames and passwords of the users. I have no problem. I can post, reply, update profile, and so on. I suspect that there is nothing wrong with the bulletin board or their computer setups or software.

I set up a test user
USER: Test
Password: test
Link: http://link-logic-craft.com/BBLink.html

for the bulletin board. I bet if you use the test user you will have no problem posting in the Help forum.

Do you have any ideas what instructions I can give the users so they will understand how to use the bulletin board?

Or, do you have any idea what could be a problem with how I set up the board so they cannot use it?

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Ron

[This message has been edited by ronlewis (edited 12-09-2000).]

The last one - Carla... Was she trying to post? That doesn't sound like a post procedure, it sounds like a private forum entry...

Unfortunately your users aren't exactly forthcoming with detail on what they're doing...

I was able to post a test message successfully. This is probably a user issue, which are the most troublesome kind...

Hm, why is your noncgi directory inside your cgi directory?

Ask your users to follow a certain procedure and report what they've done at each step. Example:
- Enter board at <url>
- Click on <forum>
- Click on <new post>
- Fill username with <username>
- Fill password with <password>
- Fill subject with <subject>
- Fill message with <message>
- Hit the Post button
- Wait for confirmation message
- Wait to be forwarded (don't click until you count to five and nothing's happening)
- Click on the new message

The more detail they can provide, the better.

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Charles Capps, Moderator, Post-Install Troubleshooting
PLEASE NOTE: Due to time limitations, I do not provide UBB support via email.

Charles,

I like your analysis because it makes sense.

1. Although Carla is talking about posting, she probably is at the earlier step of entering the forum.

2. The non-cgi directory is in the cgi directory because it seemed to solve some installation problems. However, now that I have learned better how to install the Ultimate Bulletin Board, I may find that I can move the non-cgi directory out of the cgi directory. This is a security issue, right? (Security meaning that even a beginning hacker can access the non-cgi files.) Or is the location of the non-cgi directory a functionality issue? (The location of the non-cgi files could disturb the proper functioning of the bulletin board.)

3. It is indeed likely to be a user issue, which is troublesome. The trouble is how to communicate. For example, you tell the user to enable cookies, even tell the user step by step. The user reports back following step by step and enabling cookies. You and I still are not 100% sure the user enabled cookies.

Speaking of cookies, I went over with Carla that cookies need to be enabled for the bulletin board to work properly. I was able to duplicate her scenario of being validated and then being thrown back to the validation page by disabling cookies.

At this point, the user's husband tried an idea and reported:

"By looking at another 'Ultimate Bulletin Board' system ( http://www.ccgcenter.com/cgi-bin/ubb/Ultimate.cgi?action=intro&category=2), it asks for, and I granted, cookies, so that we know that my Mac is accepting cookies, Erols is passing them, etc.

"How about you turn off the password security and we see if we can log in and post messages (Carla's idea!). If so, then we know that the difficulty lies in the password security portion, and we can work on it from there."

So, I went into the Help forum and unchecked the box "Restrict Viewing and Writing of Posts To Admins, Moderators and other authorized* users"

I am waiting to see what Carla and her husband say.

4. I may be able to get the user to type up the details you suggested. I need to recommend the format you provided. I might also see if I can get the user to list many of their browser's settings.

I appreciate your support, Charles. I would be interested if there are other ways to duplicate Carla's scenario besides disabling cookies.

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Ron

[This message has been edited by ronlewis (edited 12-10-2000).]

Carla and her husband have more information after trying with security removed for my UBB's help area:

---BEGIN QUOTE---
Ron,

We can now see the messages in the help forum. (I'm assuming that we can post, etc., although I didn't try it.)

We still cannot enter the "secure" general member forum.

One more thing may help.

When we get to the screen with "Click here if you do not want to wait any longer ...", the page never finishes loading. That is, the icon on the browser window that indicates the page is still downloading continues to indicated that more of the page is coming.

Hope this helps.
---END QUOTE---

Their browser gets stuck. My browser does not.

Carla uses Netscape 6. UBB should work with Netscape 6, right?


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Ron

Carla and her husband are cooperative in providing information. Here is an update:

"After twenty minutes, it still has not finished loading the page. I'll check in on it in a half-hour or so."

So, I think the page that is supposed to appear after clicking on "Click here if you do not want to wait any longer ...". I think that page gets genuinely stuck on Carla's computer. She uses Netscape 6.0 on a Mac.

Isn't the UBB supposed to work with Netscape 6.0? Or does it just work with Netscape 4.0 and 5.0? Or is there some setting that Carla needs to correct on her computer?

Having the noncgi inside the cgi isn't exactly a security issue (in fact, in some configurations it helps security)... it's just an unusual setup. There's nothing really wrong with it, just that it's not often done. (I usually place my cgi inside my noncgi, actually... <img src="https://www.ubbcentral.com/boards/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> )

Netscape 6 handles refreshes differently - instead of waiting for the page to load, then refreshing, it sees the meta refresh tag then forwards after the specified delay, even if the page isn't done loading. This is the first reported instance of user problems with the refresh, and I'll look into it...

In the mean time, have Carla and co. hit the Stop button in Netscape, count to ten, then try clicking the link.

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Charles Capps, Moderator, Post-Install Troubleshooting
PLEASE NOTE: Due to time limitations, I do not provide UBB support via email.

Your UBB is making no attempt to plant cookies whatsoever. Not an incorrectly pathed cookie, but rather none at all.

Could you please fill out a support ticket? This will need a deeper look.

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Customer Support
Infopop Corp.

[This message has been edited by navaho (edited 12-10-2000).]

I would very much like to fillout a support ticket. I seem to need some help on how to get to a support ticket. When I click on the link I get the following:

"ERROR!!

"Can't process-- request must originate from an Infopop site!"

The link is: http://www.infopop.com/cgi-bin/support/support_request.cgi?type=UBB&action=catselect&cat=6

And I get the error message described.

Could you please tell me how to get to a support ticket so I can fill one out?

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Ron

[This message has been edited by ronlewis (edited 12-10-2000).]