Make error messages more detailed (plugins)

fourofwo · May 23, 2019, 10:42am

I’m using Docker to run this service. The setup is real easy, and I thank you all for that.
However, I’m now a fair bit stuck in troubleshooting hell to figure our why I can’t enable the plugin installer.
I’ll figure it out eventually, but I’ll have to spend precious time on this, just because the error/status message is only generically stating “Your Kanboard instance is not configured to install plugins from the user interface” and not giving me any hint of what’s missing.

Please, include information in these messages that make it clear why and/or what is missing.

creecros · May 23, 2019, 11:33am

You have to enable it in your config.php

github.com

kanboard/kanboard/blob/96dd20c0cd0b3d30da7240444be734d92e3c0536/config.default.php#L30




// Plugins directory
define('PLUGINS_DIR', __DIR__.DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR.'plugins');


// Plugins directory URL
define('PLUGIN_API_URL', 'https://kanboard.org/plugins.json');


// Enable/Disable plugin installer (Disabled by default for security reasons)
// There is no code review or any approval process to submit a plugin.
// This is up to the Kanboard instance owner to validate if a plugin is legit.
define('PLUGIN_INSTALLER', false);


// Available cache drivers are "file" and "memory"
define('CACHE_DRIVER', 'memory');


// Cache folder to use if cache driver is "file" (must be writeable by the web server user)
define('CACHE_DIR', DATA_DIR.DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR.'cache');


// Folder for uploaded files (must be writeable by the web server user)
define('FILES_DIR', DATA_DIR.DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR.'files');

Set to true.

fourofwo · May 23, 2019, 12:45pm

Thanks for the tip.
I figured this out on my own in the end, and managed to fix it, but the original request still remains; providing information in the actual message would make this that much easier to troubleshoot and, I will wager a guess, generate less Q&A about this specific configuration.

creecros · May 23, 2019, 1:13pm

“not configured” would immediately take me to the config.php

configured => config.php…

You could change it, and make a PR though…

github.com

kanboard/kanboard/blob/8cee04101d351fb5321f225963d589883761d214/app/Template/plugin/directory.php#L7


<div class="page-header">
    <h2><?= t('Plugin Directory') ?></h2>
</div>


<?php if (! $is_configured): ?>
<p class="alert alert-error">
    <?= t('Your Kanboard instance is not configured to install plugins from the user interface.') ?>
</p>
<?php endif ?>


<?php if (empty($available_plugins)): ?>
    <p class="alert"><?= t('There is no plugin available.') ?></p>
<?php else: ?>
    <?php foreach ($available_plugins as $plugin): ?>
    <table>
        <tr>
            <th colspan="3">

rafaelcamargo · May 24, 2019, 4:30am

I agree with OP because this $is_configured isn’t just about having setted PLUGIN_INSTALLER to true.
$is_configured is setted with Installer::isConfigured() (PluginController.php#L43-L48) and depends on three conditions:

github.com

kanboard/kanboard/blob/96dd20c0cd0b3d30da7240444be734d92e3c0536/app/Core/Plugin/Installer.php#L23-L26


public static function isConfigured()
{
    return PLUGIN_INSTALLER && is_writable(PLUGINS_DIR) && extension_loaded('zip');
}

On my first days with kanboard, I had to check the source code to find out why it wasnt getting enabled, and it was because I didnt have the zip extension enabled

However, it is documented: https://docs.kanboard.org/en/latest/admin_guide/plugins.html

fourofwo · May 24, 2019, 9:33am

The whole idea with this request, as I believe rafaelcamargo would agree with as well, is to get a status message that reports the state of all the necessary criteria.

“Your Kanboard instance is not configured to install plugins from the user interface.”

becomes something along the lines of

"
Your Kanboard instance does not meet the requirements for installing plugins from this user interface.
Your instance’s current state:

define(‘PLUGIN_INSTALLER’) value: [actual value from instance]
extension_loaded(‘zip’) value: [actual value from instance]
is_writable(PLUGINS_DIR) value: [actual value from instance]
"

This way people would get to know the terminology, what requirements are needed and their current states, up front.

creecros · May 24, 2019, 10:57am

So…make it 3 returns, and make 3 messages. Then PR.

Of course, I say that without looking for anything else calling that function. …so, It could be that simple…it could also not be…

If it is, keep the return as is, an add 3 conditions to send the info to the configModel, then use the configModel setting to determine the message

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Make error messages more detailed (plugins)

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