Plugin updates hang

Is there anything in the server error log for PHP?

When I went to look for the error logs, it shows that they are disabled by default. I’ve enabled error logging, and next time I notice a plugin hang, I’ll check for the errors. Thanks, Ipstenu!

Well, that didn’t take long! Maybe you can help me sort out what’s going on…?

In the error logs, there are tons of similar errors:

[Tue Jul 16 09:12:29 2013] [error] [client 213.186.119.133] PHP Warning:  PHP Startup: zip: Unable to initialize module
[Tue Jul 16 09:12:29 2013] [error] [client 213.186.119.133] Module compiled with module API=20060613
[Tue Jul 16 09:12:29 2013] [error] [client 213.186.119.133] PHP    compiled with module API=20090626
[Tue Jul 16 09:12:29 2013] [error] [client 213.186.119.133] These options need to match
[Tue Jul 16 09:12:29 2013] [error] [client 213.186.119.133]  in Unknown on line 0

Then, it seems that my plugin update attempt generated the same error(s).

Here's the error log for my attempted plugin updates:
[Tue Jul 16 10:34:28 2013] [error] [client 108.78.50.239] PHP Warning:  PHP Startup: zip: Unable to initialize module, referer: https://mysite.com/wp-admin/network/update-core.php
[Tue Jul 16 10:34:28 2013] [error] [client 108.78.50.239] Module compiled with module API=20060613, referer: https://mysite.com/wp-admin/network/update-core.php
[Tue Jul 16 10:34:28 2013] [error] [client 108.78.50.239] PHP    compiled with module API=20090626, referer: https://mysite.com/wp-admin/network/update-core.php
[Tue Jul 16 10:34:28 2013] [error] [client 108.78.50.239] These options need to match, referer: https://mysite.com/wp-admin/network/update-core.php
[Tue Jul 16 10:34:28 2013] [error] [client 108.78.50.239]  in Unknown on line 0, referer: https://mysite.com/wp-admin/network/update-core.php
[Tue Jul 16 10:34:28 2013] [error] [client 205.186.179.209] PHP Warning:  PHP Startup: zip: Unable to initialize module
[Tue Jul 16 10:34:28 2013] [error] [client 205.186.179.209] Module compiled with module API=20060613
[Tue Jul 16 10:34:28 2013] [error] [client 205.186.179.209] PHP    compiled with module API=20090626
[Tue Jul 16 10:34:28 2013] [error] [client 205.186.179.209] These options need to match
[Tue Jul 16 10:34:28 2013] [error] [client 205.186.179.209]  in Unknown on line 0
[Tue Jul 16 10:34:30 2013] [error] [client 108.78.50.239] PHP Warning:  PHP Startup: zip: Unable to initialize module, referer: https://mysite.com/wp-admin/network/update-core.php?action=do-plugin-upgrade
[Tue Jul 16 10:34:30 2013] [error] [client 108.78.50.239] Module compiled with module API=20060613, referer: https://mysite.com/wp-admin/network/update-core.php?action=do-plugin-upgrade
[Tue Jul 16 10:34:30 2013] [error] [client 108.78.50.239] PHP    compiled with module API=20090626, referer: https://mysite.com/wp-admin/network/update-core.php?action=do-plugin-upgrade
[Tue Jul 16 10:34:30 2013] [error] [client 108.78.50.239] These options need to match, referer: https://mysite.com/wp-admin/network/

[Please be sure to use the code buttons when posting code or error logs]

Is this something happening on the server that I need to get fixed?

Yeah, your zip module is busted. Show your host the error log and ask them if they can check why PHP can’t zip ??

(PHP 5.2 often had this problem. Make sure you’re on at least 5.3)

Hmm.. I’m on a mediatemple gs server, and running PHP 5.3.26, and have been at that level for some time.

Their message to me today after looking at the error was that I need to update the PECL extensions for PHP myself. (Or pay them $80 to do it.) Is that pretty common among hosts?

I’m guessing that this could be the reason that the dashboard on this multisite install is slow?

I read their help page about installing the extensions myself, but I don’t think I’m up for that– or at least I don’t have the time to deal with something going wrong with it!

I just reached out to my friend at MediaTemple to ask her to take a look.

That’s… weird. Zip should be installed standard on PHP. Unless you’ve made changes, I can’t fathom why it would be removed.

It’s been a couple of years ago, but if I’m remembering right, when I tried to get BackupBuddy working on this install (this multisite is the only install in this account), I needed to have PECL extensions installed. Mediatemple did it, but the support tech was very clear that this was outside their service agreement.

At the time, it just seemed weird that they wouldn’t have zip installed by default. This is one of their grid-server accounts, not a dedicated-virtual– on those you do have to install all your own stuff.

I’ll be interested in what the mt folks have to say…

Just an update:

The mt folks got back to me that they took another look and saw I had an incorrect line in my php.ini telling the server to look in the wrong path for the zip extension. I’m not sure how that got there, but they gave me instructions for commenting it out, and that seems to have resolved both the multitude of server errors, and my original hanging plugin update too!

Thanks, Ipstenu, for helping me ask the right questions! ??

YAY!

Awesome, good to hear! Yeah, if you ever have problems or questions on Media Temple, you can always reach out to me at @mt_suzette on twitter. ?? Sorry I didn’t see the request earlier, but great to hear all is good, Mika rocks. ??

Thanks, Suzette!

PHP itself has a bug in Zip/Unzip in old versions. Hangs without any error message displayed or in logs. Affects WordPress Update, and Plugin/Theme Updates, and any plugins that use compression (e.g. WP-Super-Cache or BackWPup)

PHP Change Log https://www.php.net/ChangeLog-5.php#5.3.4 says
PHP Version 5.3.4 released 09-Dec-2010 – Fixed crash in zip extract method

(If you want to convince your web hosting tech support people it’s PHP not a WordPress plugin problem, I put PHP code on https://lcblog.lernerconsult.com/2013-php-unzip-bug-makes-wordpress-updates-hang/ but they should update old versions of PHP anyway…)