Feature Request: Web Root Location Improvement

[EidolonHost]

Hi,

A feature request that I'd love to see get implemented ASAP is to have a green checkmark icon next to the WebRoot path variable for your billing system. See this thread where I had issues with getting it to work properly.

 

I'd suggest both a checkmark and a way to preview the effect of the WebRoot setting before we enable it for production sites so we can be sure we've correctly set it up so it displays links properly in e-mails it sends out to customers.

 

Your documentation on this seems to have broken its link. It is now... actually, I can't find it in the documentation anymore. What happened to it?

[Michael]

I think that's complicated because every root is different per control panel / operating system.

[EidolonHost]

I think that's complicated because every root is different per control panel / operating system.

 

True. Which is why I suggested a preview. Obviously, I've no idea how complicated it would be to set up something that would preview this particular setup... but from threads here and there that I've read regarding this issue... Blesta has SOME form of detection going on for its particular setup. Which seems like it'd be helpful to extend that detection into previewing this particular area.

 

Or if no preview can't be done, simply have Blesta ask you what link you'd like to see and use that as its setting. For example, let's say you want to see https://licensecart.com/billing and you don't particularly care how it figures out how to do that, you just want it to be able to set links in e-mails to properly show to clients where to go... that'd be great for that.

 

Obviously this needs more thought but I'm thinking it needs a serious discussion. Mostly because I've been struggling with this... and if I've been struggling with this, surely others might've been.

[Tyson]

Are you referring to the root web directory setting? The value you set for it depends on your web server configuration, so Blesta wouldn't be able to tell whether the path you set is correct for this purpose. Rather, it could only say whether the directory specified exists, which is not particularly useful. The directory set on installation would exist, but may not be correct because of the web server configuration, which is out of Blesta's scope to determine.

 

A preview of links generated wouldn't be possible through the interface. The purpose of the Root Web Directory setting is to resolve the path in CLI mode, which you are not using when viewing the settings page. In order to view a preview, an email would have to be queued and sent by cron, which contained sample link(s). If you were to receive such an email and discovered the links were incorrect, the correct solution may or may not be to update the Root Web Directory setting, depending on the web server's configuration.

 

Obviously this needs more thought but I'm thinking it needs a serious discussion. Mostly because I've been struggling with this... and if I've been struggling with this, surely others might've been.

 

Yes, some people do have issues with getting the cron to send emails with the correct links, and I can understand the frustration. We can only partially ease that frustration with a feature like I mentioned above. The main culprit for issues with the Root Web Directory tends to be the web server configuration.

[EidolonHost]

Are you referring to the root web directory setting? The value you set for it depends on your web server configuration, so Blesta wouldn't be able to tell whether the path you set is correct for this purpose. Rather, it could only say whether the directory specified exists, which is not particularly useful. The directory set on installation would exist, but may not be correct because of the web server configuration, which is out of Blesta's scope to determine.

 

A preview of links generated wouldn't be possible through the interface. The purpose of the Root Web Directory setting is to resolve the path in CLI mode, which you are not using when viewing the settings page. In order to view a preview, an email would have to be queued and sent by cron, which contained sample link(s). If you were to receive such an email and discovered the links were incorrect, the correct solution may or may not be to update the Root Web Directory setting, depending on the web server's configuration.

 

 

Yes, some people do have issues with getting the cron to send emails with the correct links, and I can understand the frustration. We can only partially ease that frustration with a feature like I mentioned above. The main culprit for issues with the Root Web Directory tends to be the web server configuration.

 

I was indeed referring to this setting. I had found it once before in the documentation in the other thread I'd linked to in the original post of this thread.

 

I think an e-mail being queued and sent by cron would be a perfect solution. Maybe as part of the Basic Setup process? I'd phrase it such that it's obvious that the e-mail sent should be used to help determine whether or not the settings're correct.

 

As far as the web server configuration... previously as mentioned by someone else in the other thread, the documentation regarding this specific setting wasn't available. Or not clear at all.

 

As far as the previews go... perhaps a mixture of cron and preview page for it, in the event that someone wants to set it up without having to utilize an e-mail server to get e-mails for the links?

[Paul]

I wonder if it would be possible for a sort of hidden "diagnostics" system automation task to run that could generate a link to a test URL, execute a CURL command against it to see if it receives the anticipated response. If it does, great! If it doesn't, there is an issue.. log the issue, and possibly send out a notification or display the issue in the "System Status" widget.

 

In the future, the "diagnostics" automation task could check for other issues as well.

[EidolonHost]

I wonder if it would be possible for a sort of hidden "diagnostics" system automation task to run that could generate a link to a test URL, execute a CURL command against it to see if it receives the anticipated response. If it does, great! If it doesn't, there is an issue.. log the issue, and possibly send out a notification or display the issue in the "System Status" widget.

 

In the future, the "diagnostics" automation task could check for other issues as well.

 

That would be a great place to have such a tool be present. I think it's long-past time that Blesta had one. I mean, sure, we have documentation that we can use to look for how to do things. But... that documentation deals solely with how to set up Blesta. Not with how to fix whatever issue you're having with Blesta.

 

A diagnostic tool like you're suggesting plus a section of the documentation that deals solely with issues with Blesta would be great to have.

 

Edit: Also, that status widget? It's sorely under-utilized. This addition to that widget would go far to making it more useful.