[Forum] Invalid URL error when inserting images.

[mattltm]

When adding an image to a post, uploading images from a local machine works fine but VB throws an "Invalid URL" error when truing to insert an image from a remote URL.

Does the same thing using the default style and with all addons disabled.

Version 4.2.2 PL4
PHP 5.4.39-0+deb7u2
Linux Debian 7 64 bit
Mysql 14.14
PHP CURL Enabled
CURL SSL Yes

[mattltm]

Anyone have and ideas?

[Wayne Luke]

Not enough information. Guessing, I would say there is probably some sort of hot linking and leech protection being triggered.

[mattltm]

I know 100% that there is no hot linking or leach protection as I have tried with an image that is hosted on another site that I run.

What other information do I need to give in order to help you, help me, get your product working as it should?

Thanks.

[Wayne Luke]

What is the URL of the image that you're trying to insert? Is the image built properly. For example it isn't a GIF with a JPG or PNG extension?

[mattltm]

Thanks Wayne.

I've tried with many different images. Here is one example - http://www.m0lmk.co.uk/wp-content/up...501_194338.jpg

Here is another - http://broadstairs.eatsleepdo.co.uk/...431984707.jpeg

And here is another one that I randomly pulled from Google images to check it wasn't just happening on my own server - http://2il.org/wp-content/uploads/20...ful-scenes.jpg

None of them work and all return the same error.

[Wayne Luke]

Hmmm.. They all upload for me. Though I am storing attachments in the database. Are you storing them in the file system? What are the permissions of those directories?

If you install 4.2.3 RC1 into a separate directory on the same server do they upload?

[mattltm]

I'm storing in the DB.

I don't have time to do a new install at the moment so I'll do that later tomorrow.

[mattltm]

Ok, managed to grab 20 mins to do the install.

Same issue with 4.2.3 RC1

[Wayne Luke]

What image processing library are you using? Would be selected under Settings -> Options -> Image Settings?

Have there been any changes to the server recently?

[mattltm]

Imagemagick.

No changes to the server. Image uploads work fine.

Is there a way to get a more descriptive error message?

Edit... Just tried setting it to GD and get the same error. Imagemagick path is correct too.

[Trevor Hannant]

Anything in the server's error logs for the time of the issue? Have you tried enabling Database and PHP error logging within:

AdminCP > Settings > Options > Error Handling & Logging

[mattltm]

I've set the log locations but they are not being generated so I assume that there is no error being written.

I just tried and un-ticked the "Retrieve remote file and reference locally" option and it worked.

Just need to work out why it doesn't work when the "Retrieve remote file and reference locally" option is selected.

[Wayne Luke]

The difference is that when the box is checked, the server is told to contact the image host, download the image and store it as an attachment. That is the part that is failing. It isn't actually creating an error per se. It is telling you the image is invalid according to what it is looking for. So at this point, the two most likely scenarios are:

1) Someone blocked the ports necessary to do this on your server and it stopped working.

Or...

2) The host servers can detect that you're trying to connect from another server instead of a browser and are killing the connection.

[mattltm]

Thanks Wayne,

1) It is my server and it is running a firewall but most standard ports are open. Can you tell me which specific ports need to be open for this feature to work?

2) The host servers are mine as well and do not have any type of program running that could that would kill the connection plus, the same images worked fine for you Wayne Luke when you tested on your server.

How does VB retrieve the image? Is it via Curl? If so, can I run a command via the shell to see if I get a better error output?