Nano_5_1 rough out-of-the-box experience

[SteP]

Hi, this is meant to be constructive criticism. I upgraded from UniServer 4.3 to 5.1 expecting an improved out-of-the-box experience, but it wasn't, for a number of reasons.

 

TIP for first-time users: unpack the distribution into C:\Nano_5_1 and you'll save yourself a lot of trouble.

 

Bottom line, I don't think that Nano_5_1 can run from any folder - as the readme.txt file boasts. It must be unpacked into C:\Nano_5_1 otherwise apache won't start at all. Choosing any other folder will not work because the default httpd.conf configuration file which requires C:\Nano_5_1 as the installation folder. The documentation should clearly spell out this limitation, because it isn't easy to find out - unless, of course, one has prior experience.

 

Another issue is that the one-click Start.exe mechanism provides insufficient feedback as to what goes wrong. Try unpacking Nano_5_1 to folder C:\test, then go to C:\test\UniServer and run Start.exe. Click the UniTray1.exe icon and select Individual-Server-Control/Start-Apache - a couple of console windows quicky flash by. Apache doesn't start. You're left to wonder what happened. This isn't a good user experience.

You should consider adding a PAUSE statement to the batch files.

Could you also remove the EXIT statements from the batch files? They force closing the console window, whic is an issue if someone - like me- tries to run Start_Servers.bat from the command line to read error messages. The command line window closes immediately. You could substitute EXIT with GOTO :EOF. This will terminate the batch file without closing the console window. :EOF is an implicit label, no need to declare it.

 

When the console window closed on me and I still didn't know why apache wasn't starting, I opened another console window, went to folder alternative_control, looked at Start_Servers.bat and typed " ..\usr\local\php\php.exe -n ..\unicon\main\start_servers.php", so I was finally able to read what went wrong (What went wrong: apache couldn't find C:\Nano_5_1 - of course, since I had unpacked into C:\test because the readme.txt file said that I could unpack anywhere). Having to run php.exe -n ... to find out what went wrong isn't good user experience, I think. But UniServer might provide simpler ways to tell me why apache isn't running, I don't know, this is the only way I could find. The Server-Status entry in UniTray menu doesn't tell me WHY, it only tells me that apache isn't running.

 

BTW, my IP address is 192.168.0.1 - but the script incorrectly outputs

================== UNIFORM SERVER STATUS ==================

 

Your Internet IP Address = 93.34.201.208

Accessible from Internet = NO

PHP INI: php.ini file = Production

 

I hope the developers will be able to improve the out-of-the-box experience because series 5.x is such a step forward vs. series 4.x - I really like what I've seen so far, even if it's a rougher ride than I expected... Thanks to the developers.

[Ric]

Thanks for the feedback, very informative.

Bottom line, I don't think that Nano_5_1 can run from any folder - as the readme.txt file boasts.

The servers are dynamic meaning every time they are run a folder check is performed, on detecting a folder change all absolute paths are rewritten to current location.

It looks like for whatever reason your files were not updated.

You should consider adding a PAUSE statement to the batch files

These files do include the pause statement.

UniServer\alternative_control\Start_Server.bat

UniServer\alternative_control\Stop_Server.bat

BTW, my IP address is 192.168.0.1 - but the script incorrectly outputs

That IP is for a wireless router. The IP reported is what would be required to access your server from the Internet looks like you are with FASTWEB and the IP is dynamic.

 

Accessible from Internet = NO which suggests you need to forward port 80 in your wireless router.

 

All the best

Ric

[SteP]

The servers are dynamic meaning every time they are run a folder check is performed, on detecting a folder change all absolute paths are rewritten to current location.

It looks like for whatever reason your files were not updated.

I thought it worked that way, but I wasn't sure. It's smart and it should work, but it didn't in my case, the folder change was not detected, I wonder why. So, given a working installation in folder x:\test, if I move x:\test\UniServer to y:\test2\UniServer will it detect the new root and update all absolute paths?

These files do include the pause statement.

UniServer\alternative_control\Start_Server.bat

UniServer\alternative_control\Stop_Server.bat

You're right, but possibly the issue is elsewhere, perhaps it's because Start.exe::UniTray.ini starts php-win.exe directly?

[Individual_unicontrol]
Type: item; Caption: "Start Apache Server"; Action: shellexecute; FileName: "%PHP%\php-win.exe"; Parameters: " -n %ServerConMain%\start_servers.php 1"; Glyph: 9

Also please consider removing EXIT from the .bat files.