ATutor

ImportExport Experiences Problems

• dnuttall
  

  2004-08-09 07:36:09

  ImportExport Experiences Problems

  After successfully creating "original courseware" with ATutor 1.4.1 on a commercial/hosted environment, I used the "Export Content" and successfully created a ZIPped version on my local machine.
  
  If I create a new, but empty course on the host and try to use the ZIPed file on my local machine as the source to insert, it TRIES to run, but eventually times out.
  
  However, if I try the same process to a "prototype" environment that is basically local, the inserts happen so quickly that I barely notice the pop-up window indicating progress.
  
  At first, I thought it might be caused by mixed permissions/ownership issues, since on my hosted environment, MOST of the files are owned by my login account which is an ordinary user. In the hosted environment, the Apache web-server is apparently running as UID/GID nobody/nobody.
  
  However, when I consider my prototype environment, I have a similar condition with regard to permissions/ownership, although it is not exactly the same. My prototype system has Apache running under UID/GID "apache" and my baseline ATutor files/folders are assigned to UID/GID nobody or root.
  
  So my "problem" may have something to do with permissions and owneship on the hosted system, but it seems like it could just be a "timing" problem.
  
  Obviously I can't change the PHP timeout features for the hosted system, but it seems like they could be ammended within ATutor.
  
  I've browsed the forum(s), but haven't detected where anyone indicated they're using ATutor in a hosted environment such as mine, so that may be why this problem hasn't done its "Phoenix Act" yet! :)
  
  Any thoughts/ideas on a work-around or fix will be greatly appreciated.
  
  Dave Nuttall
  San Antonio, TX

• dnuttall
  

  2004-08-09 09:05:20

  Additional Import Problems

  Something seems to be fundamentally wrong with my test environment of ATutor 1.4.1 running on Linux.
  
  I'm able to create a course and import SOME but not all of the default ATutor "How-To" courseware.
  
  Successfully imported:
  -Getting Started
  -Administrators
  -Accessible Authoring
  -Learners
  -Navigation
  
  But THESE fail to import:
  - Full course
  - Instructors
  
  It's hard to imagine why apparently pristine data from the ATutor site won't just get sucked up into a "stock installation".
  
  I can change anything on my prototype site, but its not clear WHAT to change. Please let me know if you can fill in the blank spot(s) for met
  
  TIA.
  Dave Nuttall
  San Antonio, TX

• joel
  

  2004-08-10 13:18:02

  Additional Import Problems

  Check your php.ini file to ensure that both
  [b]post_max_size[/b] and [b]upload_max_filesize[/b] are large enough (over 2MB). if they are not then that would be the problem and you would have to change it.
  
  You can view that information by creating a phpinfo page:
  <?php
  phpinfo();
  ?>
  
  to see what the value of those settings are.
  
  Additionally, the script may be taking too long to process. Both [b]max_execution_time[/b] and [b]max_input_time[/b] should be set large enough if the server is busy or slow and if your internet connection to the server is slow.

• dnuttall
  

  2004-08-11 11:25:00

  Increased values to fix it!

  Increasing the values for max_execution_time and upload_max_filesize seems to have fixed the problem.
  
  Thanks, Joel.
  
  On the hosted environmnet, I used an .htaccess file in the root directory of ATutor. The hosting company had set everything to defaults, so max_input_time was set to -1 which I think means "no limit" and the post_max_size was set to 55M, so I didn't fool with that.
  
  The max_execution_time default is 30 seconds. I reset to 10 minutes.
  
  The upload_max_filesize was 2M, so I reset mine to be 100M.
  
  The default ATutor course uploads just fine now.
  
  The actual .htaccess file looks something like this:
  
  #### my ATutor .htaccess -- 08/11/2004
  php_value upload_max_filesize 100M
  php_value max_execution_time 600
  #### end of ATutor .htaccess file
  
  Some documentation might suggest enclosing the values in double quotes. I don't think it matters, but I generally try to use the most universalist structures whenever possible. Your mileage may vary depending on the configuration of Apache or possibly the operating system.
  
  Post a question or comment if you're confused or can't resolve your own problems on this subject.
  
  Dave Nuttall
  San Antonio, Texas

• joel
  

  2004-08-11 16:48:24

  Increased values to fix it!

  100M might be overkill.
  
  Another thing you could have tried was importing the content packages from the ATutor site using a URL instead of downloading the packages locally then uploading them.
  
  The ability to import content packages via URL is a very useful feature and is one of the ways to get around the max upload file size limit in PHP.