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Debian Forums Attachments

Posted: 2015-12-07 07:46
by swirly_cloud
Greetings,

I have been having a bit of a strife with built-in attachment tool for the forums.

Initially, I missed an error when uploading a small ".png" image (< 50 kB) and my post went through without the attachment. This was also true for ~25 kB ".png" images. The error was the following: "Sorry, the board attachment quota has been reached.".

When uploading text files, it seems that ".txt" files are prohibited (tried with a 7 Byte file). ASCII text files with no extensions are just rejected (same file as previous test). Then I tried with a bigger ASCII file (373 kB) without extension and it generated an "500 Internal Error" in Debian Forum's Apache server, while uploading.
The following is the output:
Internal Server Error

The server encountered an internal error or misconfiguration and was unable to complete your request.

Please contact the server administrator, forum-admin@forums.debian.net and inform them of the time the error occurred, and anything you might have done that may have caused the error.

More information about this error may be available in the server error log.

Apache Server at forums.debian.net Port 80
There seem to be no possible definitions in the "Board Preferences" tab within my profile.

I have noticed some people also not being able to attach files and getting similar varied error messages.

Maybe just disable the tool or include a disclaimer near the attachment field? Seems like both the posts' contents and the server are at risk.

EDIT:

ALTERNATIVES
I am aware of the alternatives provided by third parties in regard to file hosting.
Therefore, I am not looking for a solution for me.

Re: Debian Forums Attachments

Posted: 2015-12-07 14:27
by dasein
Moved to Forum stuff

Re: Debian Forums Attachments

Posted: 2015-12-07 14:32
by Head_on_a_Stick
Use [᠎code] tags to display terminal output or a pastebin for very large listings.

Garry will be along shortly to explain image hosting sites to you ;)

AFAIUI, this site is run for free from a server sitting under somebody's desk and is largely un-maintained -- please don't tax our extremely limited resources.

Re: Debian Forums Attachments

Posted: 2015-12-07 14:38
by dasein
Head_on_a_Stick wrote:Garry will be along shortly to explain image hosting sites to you ;)
(Not if I show up before he does with the obligatory RTFM! :mrgreen:)

@OP: You say you found other instances of this question by searching the board. (Bless you, BTW.)

Did you not also find a reference to the preferred solution? I am quite certain that it exists, so maybe spend just a little more time before deciding that your search was ineffective.

Re: Debian Forums Attachments

Posted: 2015-12-07 14:49
by swirly_cloud
Head_on_a_Stick wrote:Use [᠎code] tags to display terminal output or a pastebin for very large listings.

Garry will be along shortly to explain image hosting sites to you ;)

AFAIUI, this site is run for free from a server sitting under somebody's desk and is largely un-maintained -- please don't tax our extremely limited resources.
I am not sure what you mean by "our", but you are taxing every new user of that tool and then taxing the admins, moderators and other experienced users to tell those users about the respective workarounds.


Did you not also find a reference to the preferred solution? I am quite certain that it exists, so maybe spend just a little more time before deciding that your search was ineffective.
You are assuming that I have not yet found this solution and that my search was ineffective. On the contrary, I found a few workarounds for a few different issues, in a few different occasions. So, my search was successful.

Re: Debian Forums Attachments

Posted: 2015-12-07 15:02
by Head_on_a_Stick
swirly_cloud wrote:what you mean by "our"
The people who use, visit and maintain these forums.

Re: Debian Forums Attachments

Posted: 2015-12-07 15:33
by GarryRicketson
I have noticed some people also not being able to attach files and getting similar varied error messages.
Maybe just disable the tool or include a disclaimer near the attachment field?
Thanks H_O_A_S:
Garry will be along shortly to explain image hosting sites to you ;)
This comes up from time to time, you can not attach files, or images, I can see I should have maybe selected a better name, or maybe make another topic ,named "Attachments", but any way here is this , to help explain :

How to post a screen shot and use code boxes

I agree, it would help prevent some confusion, if the "tool" or attachment option was disabled, so that people never see that option, the only one that can do that would be the administrator/owner, or maybe one of the administrators, on that I am not sure if any have the "permissions" needed to make that kind of change.
There seem to be no possible definitions in the "Board Preferences" tab within my profile.
That in itself, is because there are no "definitions" in your profile, and "Board Preferences" , there are no options, for file attachments, or image attachments, because they are not enabled, nor available to be enabled. (hope that makes sense).
So any way, you need to use a "storage site", "paste bin", drop box, git hub, ...there are many, a "google search" will show more, and actually "google" offers some as well, I do recommend using "mywot.com" or some thing similar, and check the reputation of the "storage site" used, some are not very trustworthy.
Then I tried with a bigger ASCII file (373 kB) without extension and it generated an "500 Internal Error" in Debian Forum's Apache server, while uploading.
On this, I am not sure why you would be needing to attach or even paste a ascii file into a post here. But I do know, certain kinds of "ascii" or Unicode and hex , that generate the "symbols" can not even be pasted into code boxes,
For example : this one

Code: Select all

 U+1F0A1 = "ace of spades" 
, generates a image of "ace of spades" , which, if I tried to include the actual "symbol" a "ace of spade", it will cause a whole bunch of errors, and the post will not be accepted, .. some other ascii code or
hex symbols:
Like :

Code: Select all

u+25C9 = ◉
do not cause this problem, but really after all said and done , Why would anyone need to attach that kind of stuff ? ,
In a nut shell, even though, by definition, a ASCII file, is just a plain text file, it could contain symbols, or some thing that causes a problem.
Any way that is a whole different topic. If you have some kind of ASCII file , or binary file, you must share, you definatley need to use a "storage site", and if anyone wants to see it, they can download it.
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Edited:
Dasein>(Not if I show up before he does with the obligatory RTFM! :mrgreen:)
Yup, you beat me to it. :D