Serious Trackback Problem

Podz, DH disabled allow_url_fopen() due to a flood of customer support requests they received which involved several security vulnerabilities that were exploited by that command. So, as far as I know, the decision was not MT-related.

Actually, I’m wondering whether xmlrpc.php, line 67:

$struct['htmlUrl'] = wp_specialchars(get_category_link($cat['cat_ID']);

is missing a closing parenthesis:

$struct['htmlUrl'] = wp_specialchars(get_category_link($cat['cat_ID']));

I’ll try it.

That was it!

WP1.5 now sending trackbacks to 1.2.

Okay: I’m no PHP expert; couldn’t write PHP code myself. But I find if I stare at something long enough …

Okay; that may not have solved it. The 1.5 pingbacks are still not working, but I’ll keep on it and post if/when I find a solution.

I don’t know why your line 757 was like that but your right it is a double end parenthesis.

typo 767

I have been reading all of the threads on pingback/trackback in this forum and am still unable to receive new trackbacks or pingbacks in my blog.

1. I am running a recently upgraded 1.5
2. xmlrpc.php has the required number of parentheses on line 67.
3. functions.php is correct on line 635
4. “Blacklist comments from open and insecure proxies” is UNchecked.
5. allow_url_fopen() is enabled on my server.
6. I have tested at https://www.tamba2.org.uk/wordpress/TestTrack/ to see that I can send trackbacks but none of the trackbacks sent from that site have appeared on my wp1.5 blog.

Has anyone come up with a patch for 1.5 to fix the trackback/pingback problem? Having just gone through a major nightmare upgrading from 1.2.2 to 1.5, I really am not keen on having to upgrade the whole shebang again.

-ejm (aka llizard)

eh its still not working for me- i guess ill just turn off trackbacks for now as they arent important. but for some reason, my clevelandtownhall.com wont accept trackbacks. ive re-installed wordpress 3 times now, and tried various other ideas on other forum topics, and no such luck.

You all are using the wrong terms and confusing the heck out of me.

The permalink is used for pingbacks not track backs.

pingbacks happen automatically if you put a link in the body of the post.

trackbacks are placed in the trackback box and are not the other sites permalink. you need to click on trackback to usually see the trackback url for that site. It will say the track back url for this site is:

You cannot turn off track packs only pingbacks, and that box did not function on my WP, I had to fix 2 files to enable me to turn it off.

The track back for your blog is the permalink then add /trackback/ on the end. You can test to your own site there is no reason to use any other site for testing. just pingback or track back to one of your own posts. If you enable your logs you can see what is and is not happening.

since there are so many different problems with these functions I came across this in the codex which may or may not help.

https://codex.www.ads-software.com/Using_Permalinks

go to the bottom and read about the .htaccess file.

This has to be sever related or possibly sub-version related. Since mine all work, and I have 1.5.

My probelm was my server did not have mod_rewrite installed and enabled.

Also I dislike pingback and could not turn it off, but it turned out to be hard coded on in 2 files that I had to edit and now it is off.

Thanks for replying Brian.

Okay… now that I know the correct term, pingbacks are NOT appearing on my blog (1.5). I’m not even sure whether I want them to appear but they are not. (Trackbacks aren’t either, as far as I can tell.) They used to appear in 1.2.2 but stopped at some point. This indicates that my server changed something, doesn’t it?

If you enable your logs you can see what is and is not happening.

Question #1: How and/or where do I go to enable logs?

Question #2: How do I find out if mod_rewrite is installed and/or enabled? I do not see this term in the phpinfo file I have for my site.

How and/or where do I go to enable logs?

Server logs should be enabled by default and should be available via FTP.

How do I find out if mod_rewrite is installed and/or enabled?

You’ll have to ask your hosting provider.

pingbacks are NOT appearing on my blog (1.5)

Does your host have allow_url_fopen() enabled? Are you hosted on DreamHost? For more info on allow_url_fopen() and pingbacks (or DreamHost and pingbacks), see this: https://www.ads-software.com/support/topic/31828

macmanx, scroll up to see that allow_url_fopen() is enabled on my server. However, looking at phpinfo, i see no mention of mod_rewrite.

I took a look at
https://codex.www.ads-software.com/Using_Permalinks

and see a hint about why trackbacks are not working. My server does not allow 666 permissions on folders. The closest I can use is 644. This is getting to be WAY too hard for what’s left of my mind. Perhaps I will just remove the recent trackbacks/pingbacks from view on my sidebar (I’m running wp1.5) – out of sight, out of mind.

allow_url_fopen() is enabled on my server

Have you confirmed that with your hosting provider? I only ask because a lack of allow_url_fopen() is the only thing that has been confirmed to incapacitate one’s ability to receive pingbacks while still allowing one to send pingbacks.

Yes, macmanx, I have confirmed it by creating a whatisallowed.php page

code:
<?php phpinfo(); ?>

and inserting into the wp folder. (I removed the file after looking at it.)

This is what appeared in the “Configuration PHP Core” table:

allow_url_fopen | Local Value: On | Master Value: On

Because I can do redirects of files, I’m assuming that mod_rewrite is enabled, even though there was no mention of it in the phpinfo file.

Being that I don’t have a strong grasp of PHP, this conversation has been a notch above my head in some parts. Has anyone found a fool-proof full resolution to the wordpress 1.5 trackback problem? It is really frustrating not having that functionality. I would go back to a previous version, but the extra functionality in 1.5 makes comment-spam manageable.