Can't get to Administration Console

[Eggshen]

Hey all, I've been searching all day on this site, through fm documentation, and on filemaker's web site.

Basically, I've installed 7 Advanced and updated to v3 for the server as well as the IWP. The FM Server, Web Server, IWP Stuff and anything else is all installed on the same computer. I 'registered' the Web Publishing Engine in the server Admin panel by adding a new Identifier and passcode.

However, when I add this identifier, no URL shows up in the 'Web Admin Console' field.

Of course, trying to access the Console either through the ip:

http://192.168.1231231etc/fmi/config

or through localhost:

http://localhost/fmi/config

quickly tells me that it cannot connect.

I've opened ports 5003, as well as 16008-16018.

The server is running on Mac OS X Server 10.3.6 (I can't remember which cat that is).

I noticed some people on this forum were having javascript errors or things like that, but I simply cannot even get that far to get an error.

I'm guessing its something to do with the Mac OS X Server software not correctly configuring itself for Filemaker. One post suggested that he was having problems because the http.conf file of his was not properly modified.

I did a quick check in my own conf file for signs of Filemaker, but I was not sure what to look for, so I found nothing.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Edited July 27, 2005 by Guest

[CyborgSam]

The installation of FMSA 7 is tricky. It has to be done in an exact order or it goes belly up. Below are my stock instructions for removing FMSA 7 and then Install it.

Before removing FMSA 7, be sure to move and back any databases or other files you've placed in the /Library/FileMaker Server 7 folder.

I've been using UNIX since the 80s, so I'm confident enough to do these commands after using the command su to become root. Most folks should use sudo, which lets you become root only for one command. You'll have to enter an administrator password for each command, but it's a lot safer. Be very careful, typos can result in complete trashing of you disk. If you're not experienced with UNIX commands, it's a good idea to do a complete system backup before doing this procedure. UNIX commands and filenames are case-sensitive, enter exactly what I show below!

First, stop the server using Filemaker Server Admin app and then quit Filemaker Server Admin. Then open Terminal.app (located in /Applications/Utilities). Next, verify that all processes with the word FileMaker in them have been shut down by entering at the command prompt:

ps -ax | grep Filemaker

If any processes are listed their line will look like:

260 ?? Rs 4:15.99 /Library/FileMaker Server 7/Tools/fmserverd

For each process listed, note the ID in the left column (260 in the line above) and then enter this command:

sudo kill 260

Enter an administrator password when asked. After killing all the processes in the list, do the ps -ax | grep Filemaker again to ensure they've all died.

Next, FileMaker's directories need to be deleted, they are:

/Library/FileMaker Server 7

/Library/Startup Items/FileMakerPublishingEngine

/Library/Startup Items/FileMakerServer

/Library/Startup Items/FileMakerServerHelper

The command for the first one is:

sudo rm -Rf "/Library/FileMaker Server 7"

The quoters are needed for this directory because of the spaces in the name.

Restart the Mac.

Install & setup FMSA 7 in this EXACT order:

* Open System Preferences->Sharing, click the Services tab, and make sure Personal Web Sharing is turned on.

* Click the Firewall tab. If the firewall is on, make sure the dimmed Personal Web Sharing is checked.

* If FileMaker clients will be connecting and the Firewall is on, Click New. Name the Port FileMaker and assign 5003 to both the TCP and UDP port number.

* Close the System Preferences.

* Install FM Server (1st CD) and restart.

* Install FMSA (2nd CD) and restart.

* Install any/all FM Server 7 updates & restart.

* Install any/all FMSA 7 updates & restart.

* Launch FM Server Admin, click the localhost & Connect.

* Click the Summary button, make sure a serial # is visible.

* Click the Configure button and then click the Clients tab.

* Make sure that the Web Publishing Engine Sessions is not 0

* Click Add, then enter a name in the Identifier field (I use fm to make it short) and enter a good, cryptic password in the Passcode field.

* Open a web browser and enter http://localhost/fmi/config

* Enter the Identifier and Passcode from above.

* This step is from memory, so please let me know if I screwed up: You will be prompted to create a WPE (Web Publishing Engine) Admin User (name and password). To make my life easy, I used the same ones as the Identifier and Passcode.

* The FileMaker Server Advanced Web Publishing Administration Console window should appear.

* Click the Publishing Engine Tab at the top.

* Click the Instant Web Publishing link under the tabs.

* Turn on Instant Web Publishing.

* Optionally: click the XML and XSLT links and turn them on also.

* Click Overview. In the list under Publishing Engine, the Instant Web Publishing line should be on.

* Open a new browser window/tab and go to http://localhost/fmi/iwp

* The Instant Web Publishing web page with the FMServer_Sample_Config file should appear.

* Click the FMServer_Sample_Config link, the database should open and you should get a screen saying: This database is configured correctly to be hosted by Filemaker Server 7.

* Take a breath, it's all over...

[CyborgSam]

OOOPS...

I forgot to include a directory in the list of stuff to delete:

/Applications/FileMaker Server 7

[Fenton]

Excellent post (which I hope I don't need to use for removal -). Another oops.

not -- ps -ax | grep Filemaker

ps -ax | grep FileMaker

[CyborgSam]

Thanks Fenton! The removal isn't so bad, I just did it to recover from screwing up a new install after clean installing Tiger. I didn't follow my own rules & blew up the installation...

[Eggshen]

In your first couple steps for installing, it looks like you give instructions for non-server OS X. I guess I forgot to specify. Any idea what the first step (Turning on Personal Web Sharing) equivalent would be on Server?

Also, how do you know if you've blown the install? IWP just doesnt work?

By the way, thank you for the comprehensive post.

Edited August 2, 2005 by Guest

[Eggshen]

Jeez, I figured it out. I didn't install the way you specify too, the only difference is that I updated each component after install. Anyways, that worked, the problem was simply in Mac OS X Server, our Web service was stopped.

You just go in Server Admin and enable it, and it came right up. You'd think FM tech support would ask these things initially.

[uberfy]

I followed all the steps described above, but I am still have the same problem that I can't hit [color:red]localhost/fmi/config in my browser. Before attempting any install of Server 7 Advanced, I upgraded my server to Apache 2 and PHP 5. Those are both working fine. I'm wondering if that could be part of my problem as I created a new directory for apache2 instead of replacing the original apache install.

Edited September 7, 2005 by Guest

[Martin Brändle]

Where are the configuration files of Apache 2 located? It can be that they are not at /etc/httpd/ , so that the WPE installer can not find and modify them.

[uberfy]

The config files for apache2 are in the new folder "apache2" which is on the root level. I went ahead and did a clean install of Tiger, left apache 1.3.? and php 4.? (the standard included versions) and this time had no trouble getting FMSA installed. If and when I decide to upgrade to apache2 again, I'll probably try to replace the current version instead of creating a new folder to contain it. At least now I'm ready to attempt my first php using the FX class!