Support

Mandatory information about my setup:

Have I read the related troubleshooter articles above before posting (which pages?)? Yes
Have I searched the forum before posting? Yes
Have I read the documentation before posting (which pages?)? Yes
Joomla! version: 1.5.23
PHP version: latest
MySQL version: latest
Host: Rochen
Admin Tools version: 2.1.10

Description of my issue:

Hi Nikko!

In Joomla there is an email button icon that allows a reader to send the URL of an article to someone. You hit the button and you get a pop up window. You fill in the to and from emails and a message, if any. You click on it and it says "done."

In my case, however, no one gets an email. I asked someone else to send me a URL and the result failed as well.

I thought maybe an exception was needed in .htaccess so I wrote one for components/com_mailto and my site shut down with Google Chrome telling me I had created a perpetual loop. So I deleted the .htaccess and replaced it with one I had stored from two weeks ago and all came back again. I note that deleting the added exception from Admin Tools did not fix the website. I went and looked at the file after the new components/com_mailto had been deleted in Admin Tools and it was also gone from the .htaccess file, but that didn't restore the site. I had to delete and reinstall .htaccess.

But I still don't know how to fix the email and whether it is related to Admin Tools protection. The NET option in Google Chrome doesn't seem to work when you have a pop up window.

I don't even know if it is an Admin Tools problem because in 3 years I never tried to use the emailto!

Any suggestions appreciated.

Best,

Lowtech

I would suggest trying to things:

1. Check the logs for the firewall in Admin Tools if you have it active and see if it is blocking anything. Try sending the email and then check the logs immediately. If it is admin tools doing it, then it should show there if it is a firewall issue situation.

Check this page in the documentation as well and search for com_mailto: https://www.akeebabackup.com/documentation/admin-tools/web-application-firewall.html

2. Try creating a new user with an email you have access to that is NOT associated to the site. Normally, the email_to setup works with the mail settings in your global configuration. If you don't receive the email for a new user, then your mail settings are probably not correct in the global configuration.

OK and thanks!

I tried an email, checked the logs, but nothing.

The next thing I did was look at the Firewall settings. That is something I haven't touched in ages. I have done everything through the .htaccess file, more or less.

Well, I do have two templates in use on my site. One is just plain rhuk_milkyway and the other is rhuck_milkyway_mod.
I have switched 'allow site templates' to "yes." Damn, that one really blind-sided me.

I tried an email but no success.

I also saw that my config.php file was showing 444 perms so I restored it to 644.

I tried an email but no success using an email for an account that is unrelated to the website.

So I am stuck! Perhaps this helps: I noticed today a number of people who had registered at the site but I as Admin never got the Community Builder notice that there were registrations requiring approval.

I thought maybe I should attach the .htaccess file made by Admin Tools that brought my site down. Maybe that will help? : )

Appreciate any further suggestions.

Lowtech

I honestly believe your problem is not Admin Tools. If you are not receiving any information from emails at all on the system, I think you need to go into the site and check your global configuration. There are email server settings in there.

I know that PHP Mail and Send Mail are two options, as well as SMTP, I believe. I have had hit or miss luck with the SMTP settings and getting it to work. You may need to inquire with your host about whether phpmail is functioning in your account or what they would recommend out of those 3 options.

Until you can get notices about new users or from other areas of the site, I think you need to verify the email global configuration is proper. That needs to be functioning properly before email will go out of the site period. If it is not, then email cannot be sent through the site. You may want to check also with your host to see if they can check log files or tell you how to check them for your site for outbound mail and see what's wrong.

if you suspect admin tools and your convinced it was working prior,

why dont you

1. rename plugins/system/admintools/main.php to BAKmain.php (this will disable all function of admin tools)
2. restore to the default joomla htaccess file
3. test it

If it works obviously you will need further config of admin tools.

If it does not, reverse everything and start investigating the server. You should be using phpmailer. If you have access to your server you can easily check the mail conf which will tell you if they emails are being generated in que or whats going on. If not, you host can easily check this for you. In anycase there can be many reason why the mail isnt arriving in the box. You just need to rule things out 1 by 1.

Thanks fellows!

I tried switching from SMTP to PHP mail in Global config and got a site shut down with a loop as a result. I deleted the .htaccess page and substituted the htaccess admintools backup and the site came right back.

But it is after 2 AM here and I gotta get some sleep and look at this tomorrow. I will try to get it fixed and let you know what happened.

Thanks again,

Lowtech

Follow up after some sleep!

Slaes-

I renamed the main.php to BAKmain.php. Nothing changed so I restored it.

Following rkendalic and your recommendation I went to Global config and changed the email from SMTP to sendmail.

It now works! But you both opt for phpmailer. I will ask the Rochen people if there are restrictions on the shared server or am I free to get it configured.

Much thanks to both of you.

Best wishes,

Lowtech