NGiNX server?

Hi @philbee,

Thanks for the positive feedback! ??

If a site is getting that warning, it means that it does not meet the plugin’s minimum requirements. This requirement has been in place since the beginning of WP-SpamShield.

Please review the plugin’s minimum requirements and the Known Conflicts page for a full explanation. Here is an excerpt:

Your server must be configured to allow the use of an .htaccess file. The vast majority of users will have no issue here, because most web hosts allow this by default. … Note: By definition, a standalone Nginx server would not meet this requirement, but an Apache/Nginx hybrid setup would. (Nginx is setup as a reverse-proxy in front of Apache. This type of setup offers high-performance and is recommended.)

Unfortunately there is a lot of confusion with Nginx. There are several ways to deploy Nginx. Many of our sites use Nginx, but not as the primary server. We use it as a reverse-proxy in front of Apache. It gets complex, but there are a lot of benefits to using this setup.

Even though some elements may work on standalone Nginx, not everything will work properly. Your site running on standalone Nginx and doesn’t meet the plugin’s minimum requirements, and that’s why you’re getting the “Not Installed Correctly” message. That’s warning has actually been there for a long time, but we recently expanded it. It’s not a matter of adapting it for Nginx…Nginx just doesn’t have the capability to support all of the plugin’s features. We allowed the plugin to continue to run on standalone Nginx setups with the warning (for good people like you), but it’s become quite a headache because some users won’t read the instructions and then leave angry negative reviews or support requests. It’s a bit funny, because we are up front and tell users that not everything will work on standalone Nginx, and then some people come back to us angry because not everything works…on standalone Nginx. SMH. ?? So, unfortunately we are not going to allow it to run on standalone Nginx servers in the future, since they do not meet the plugin’s minimum requirements. It’s just the cleanest solution.

Unfortunately you may want to find an alternative plugin, unless you plan on switching your server setup. As much as it can be a pain to switch, for optimum WordPress experience, I would recommend setting your server up to run Apache as the primary server with Nginx as a reverse-proxy (cache). With that setup, you would have blazing speed, better plugin compatibility, better security, and overall fewer issues. You can export your site data, files, and databases, reinstall your server with the new config, and then import your site data, files, and databases. I’m sorry I don’t have better news for you.

We are working on developing an Nginx-only anti-spam plugin, but we can’t reveal any info on that yet. ??

– Scott

• This reply was modified 8 years, 2 months ago by redsand.
• This reply was modified 8 years, 2 months ago by redsand.

Hi Scott

wow, that’s what I call an exemplary reply!

I probably simply was blind to the NGiNX warning when I first installed SpamShield, a bit over a year ago. I did read (and even know a tiny little bit) about NGiNX and .htaccess. Unfortunately, changing the hosting provider is not possible at the moment – but then I guess you know that a lot of the best managed WP providers run NGiNX-only setups ??

I’ll be switching to another solution for the time being, and patiently wait for some NGiNX goodness from you guys.

Thanks again for your time, and for SpamShield, of course!

-Phil

Hi @philbee,

Thank you for the kinds words. ??

I understand completely. There are a lot of moving parts to a WordPress site, and it’s not always easy to catch each warning.

Here’s something that you might find interesting: Believe it or not, the idea that the “a lot of the best managed WP providers run NGiNX-only setups” is actually a myth. There is a lot of marketing hype that propagates that idea, but it’s not true. In our experience, the reverse is true. If I get into more detail here, it’s likely to start a debate (because you know that 100+ other people will jump in lol), but if you would like more info, hit me up through our contact page, and I’ll be happy to share some info with you by email. (Just a heads up with the contact form: don’t mention “WP-SpamShield” on the form, or the pre-filter will refer you to the support page.)

No worries…I totally understand. ?? You’re always welcome.

Take care!

– Scott

• This reply was modified 8 years, 2 months ago by redsand.

Hi Scott

I might actually get in touch, out of curiosity, but at least I now realize I probably shouldn’t have written “best” but rather “fastest” managed WP (Kinsta, Pantheon and Pressidium, IMHO).

As you said: going into more depth might turn this touchy subject into a discussion forum, so I’ll be nice and quiet now.
(Actually, it’s time for bed)

Thanks,

Phil

• This reply was modified 8 years, 2 months ago by philbee.

@philbee,

It’s all good…I knew what you meant. I read “fastest”. I think you’ll find the info interesting. At least it will give you another insight.

True story. ??

Take care. Hopefully we’ll talk soon.

– Scott

Hi Scott,

I’m running my WordPress installation on a standalone Nginx server also. Is there any newsletter subscription or any blog, where I can be notified about your “Nginx-only anti-spam plugin”?

I’m using your plugin successfully for a while and tried a lot of alternatives, but no other plugins were as good as yours.

So I don’t want to find another plugin for my Nginx server.

Thank you!