Question

• TWiki version: TWiki version: 01 Feb 2003
• Perl version: Perl version: 5.8.0
• Web server & version: SERVER_SOFTWARE Apache/2.0.40 (Red Hat Linux)
• Server OS: Linux
• Web browser & version: Mozilla 1.1/1.3/1.4
• Client OS: Windows

I've run into some sort of problem with Mozilla and mod_perl. A page was added via IE that included a number of attachments (.GIF files) that were used in the text. Later, the page was edited with Mozilla. The page previewed fine, but was truncated when saved. This problem was reproducable under 3 different versions of Mozilla. In addition to truncating the page, the TWiki lock (not the RCS lock) is not properly cleaned up even though release lock is checked.

The problem only happens when the web server is running with mod_perl. When mod_perl is disabled, the page saves normally, the TWiki lock is removed and everything is good.

It also seems to have some relationship to do with the number of attachments referenced in the text. The topic has 7 attachments, all referenced in the text, but the content is truncated in the middle of the text after the fourth attachment is referenced. In other words, the text looks like:

   1 text1 <p> <img src="%ATTACHURLPATH%/img1.gif" alt="img1.gif" /> </p> 
   1 text2 <p> <img src="%ATTACHURLPATH%/img2.gif" alt="img2.gif" /> </p> 
   1 text3 <p> <img src="%ATTACHURLPATH%/img3.gif" alt="img3.gif" /> </p> 
   1 text4 <p> <img src="%ATTACHURLPATH%/img4.gif" alt="img4.gif" /> </p> 
   1 text5 <p> <img src="%ATTACHURLPATH%/img5.gif" alt="img5.gif" /> </p> 
   1 text6 <p> <img src="%ATTACHURLPATH%/img6.gif" alt="img6.gif" /> </p> 
   1 text7 <p> <img src="%ATTACHURLPATH%/img7.gif" alt="img7.gif" /> </p> 

and the text for the fifth element will be truncated in the middle. If the reference to img1,gif is removed, the text for the sixth element will be truncated in the middle. I.e., the bad thing occurs after the 4th image is referenced, but it is not sensitive to which image.

However, this problem only occurs on this topic. Another topic has a similiar structure and has been successfully edited with Mozilla. However the other topic was never manipulated by IE. Relevant?

Are there any known problems/issues with using mozilla and mod_perl? The apache error_log doesn't list any problems. Any suggestions on how to go about debugging this would be appreciated.

-- ScottGargash - 25 Jun 2003

Answer

See TWikiDebugging for some ideas on debugging, and also have a look at UnfinishedCloseHTMLTagUnderModPerl and ExtraneousLineInHttpHeader, which are somewhat related (latter is now fixed). Also, asking on ModPerl may get some attention from mod_perl people.

IncompletePagesOnDec012000Rel points to an Apache bug with a useful test script that should determine whether this is a TWiki problem.

-- RichardDonkin - 25 Jun 2003