Updating to PHP 7.0 apparently broke CRG feedback

youloveben · 2018-12-12 06:26:44

Hey, all!

Everything has been working just great, and I really appreciate the help to make that so.

Recently my web host suggested I update PHP from 5.6 (single) to 7.0 (fast) and after making backups, I did so.

Everything worked fine...except my tests for the CRG feedback. According to BL2, the feedback is being received. However, neither me not the "test client" are receiving email notifications of the client's image choices. This is a problem.

Where should I look to fix this, and did I miss something about how to properly implement an updated PHP configuration?

As always, I'm using https://kennethbenjaminreed.com/proofing/example-101/ to test this matter on.

Thanks!

Ben · 2018-12-12 06:34:08

I don't think the change from 5.6 to 7 alone would cause email to stop working. It's more likely that your host has broken something as part of the upgrade. What settings do you have for email settings, in particular the setting for 'Mail Send Type'?
Can you visit the main Backlight page, then click on Send Test Email under the Special Links heading? That will let you send test emails, to see if they get through. Setting Show Debug Messages to 'yes' may provide some information about what's going wrong.

youloveben · 2018-12-12 06:50:50

Thanks, Ben. That sounds likely.

I'm still using the vanilla "mail" setting in BL2.

I now see that Gsuite has flagged the test emails as spam, which only started happening since making the PHP upgrade. Google is warning "Be careful with this message; we could not verify that it actually came from kennethbenjaminreed.com. Avoid clicking links, downloading attachments, or replying with personal information."

So- initial problem solved (the feedback responses are getting flagged as spam) but this now lends me to ask "is there a better BL2 mail setting to use so that clients don't think they are being targeted for phishing attacks, etc by submitting their CRG feedback".

Vanilla mail setting is submitting feedback through box414.bluehost.com rather than my business email address, which is why I assume they are being flagged as potentially dangerous?

Ben · 2018-12-12 18:09:16

There should be a reasonable fix for that. Bluehost needs to know that the from address is valid before it sets the 'from' properly in the outgoing email. To fix this, create an email inbox for that email address in the Bluehost control panel. You don't actually need to use Bluehost to handle the email, so that address would still operate as it already does. It's just that Bluehost will know that that is an address you've set up.

youloveben · 2018-12-13 03:47:17

I agree, but I'm still struggling. I've established a new email account with Bluehost for the CRG feedback, tested it outside of BL2, and confirmed that it's functioning properly.

However, even though I've set up the email config at /backlight/admin/list_settings/ according to the standards stated at https://my.bluehost.com/hosting/help/em … tion-setup... I only get "Something went wrong" errors when I attempt to test my CRG test gallery.

How do I find out "what's going wrong" on the CRG submission form?

Last edited by youloveben (2018-12-13 03:47:38)

youloveben · 2018-12-13 03:49:35

Update: when I send test email from BL2, I get the following error:

Something went wrong

fputs(): SSL: Broken pipe in SMTP.php on line 508:

    fputs($this->smtp_conn, $hello . " " . $host . $this->CRLF);

Last edited by youloveben (2018-12-13 05:30:44)

rod barbee · 2018-12-13 04:02:19

If you're using an email account from Bluehost that uses your domain, ben@kennethbenjaminreed.com for example, then try using the plain "mail" option in Backlight settings. That's what I use for my domain emails (rod@rodbarbee.com) and it works fine.

youloveben · 2018-12-13 04:16:15

Hey there, Rod. That's exactly what I have been doing (using the plain "mail" option in Backlight settings) and yes, it works.

However, email clients receiving mail this way are getting the warning "Be careful with this message; we could not verify that it actually came from kennethbenjaminreed.com. Avoid clicking links, downloading attachments, or replying with personal information." because (according to the email headers) the mail is coming from box414.bluehost.

I assume that's because as soon as I click the plain "mail" option in Backlight settings, all email credentials are greyed out since it's not referencing the domain-relevant email address, no?

youloveben · 2018-12-13 04:26:12

Update, Rod: That error message now reads

Be careful with this message
This may be a spoofed message. The message claims to have been sent from your account, but Kenneth Benjamin Reed Mail couldn’t verify the actual source. Avoid clicking links or replying with sensitive information, unless you are sure you actually sent this message. (No need to reset your password, the real sender does not actually have access to your account!)

After setting the BL2 email configuration up for SMTP, then reverting it back to "mail", I do now see in the email headers that the emails are no longer coming from box414... they are now coming from ben@kennethbenjaminreed.com.

However, the warning message persists (even though it's slightly different than before), and ultimately I'm trying to "legitimize" the BL2 CRG feedback emails for my clients (these error messages are scary to some people even though I reassure them that everything is working well/safely).

youloveben · 2018-12-13 05:14:28

Further update:

I've asked a few people to test the form out by submitting image choices from https://kennethbenjaminreed.com/proofing/example-101/ and 100% of the "You recently submitted the following information" emails sent to them were intercepted by their spam filters.

So it's not simply the warning I'm trying to avoid, but also the false-flagging by spam filters because of the vanilla-mail header conflict.

youloveben · 2018-12-13 09:01:40

Just to try and limit web hosting variables- I tried using gmail settings in BL2, as per the "more information" bubbles found in the Email Configuration section at /backlight/admin/list_settings/ so it looks like this: bl2emailconfig

As dead-simple as that looks, I still get "Something went wrong" errors when trying to submit image choices at https://kennethbenjaminreed.com/proofing/example-101/ or when trying to send a test email from /backlight/admin/send_test_email/ (this time with more error info- "fsockopen(): unable to connect to ssl://smtp.gmail.com:465 (Connection timed out) in SMTP.php on line 125").

Ben · 2018-12-13 11:22:52

You can't use SMTP settings on Bluehost accounts. The solution was to add the email address and leave it as 'mail', which you've now done. Since you're no longer seeing emails come from box... then that part looks to be in good order.

I created a document on getting emails to work properly on Bluehost, at http://backlight.theturninggate.net/doc … n_bluehost
I suggest also looking at the second step to see if that helps, Configure the PHP sendmail_path setting.

youloveben · 2018-12-14 08:01:40

Thanks, Ben! That doc is exactly what I needed. It helped me correctly configure the PHP sendmail_path setting.

Now I'm no longer getting emails from "the box" and all I have to do now is figure out a way to prevent all mail sent this way from ending up in spam folders with the following warning:

"Be careful with this message! Kenneth Benjamin Reed Mail could not verify that it actually came from kennethbenjaminreed.com. Avoid clicking links, downloading attachments, or replying with personal information."

Why so complex, mail?

Also- quick heads-up: in your "Module Errors" section at http://backlight.theturninggate.net/doc … n_bluehost you mentioned that we should try to "Uncheck all selected modules under Additional extensions available for Installation" but I'm not seeing that option in Bluehost's PHP Config Section.

Other than their navmenu, this is all I see on Bluehost's PHP Config page:

youloveben · 2018-12-14 08:03:51

Sorry, I just saw your note. Seems like you noticed this heads-up already!

Any idea about helping to keep mail sent this way out of spam folders?

Edit: It's not a problem when using "send test email" but it does occur when "submitting feedback" a la CRG.

Last edited by youloveben (2018-12-14 08:09:11)

rod barbee · 2018-12-14 08:32:01

Ben might have a technical solution, but my suggestion is that for now, to add text to your albums (or album template) instructing clients to add your email address to their email "whitelist"

youloveben · 2018-12-14 09:12:32

Yep, that makes sense. Thanks, Rod!

Community @ The Turning Gate

#1 2018-12-12 06:26:44

Updating to PHP 7.0 apparently broke CRG feedback

#2 2018-12-12 06:34:08

Re: Updating to PHP 7.0 apparently broke CRG feedback

#3 2018-12-12 06:50:50

Re: Updating to PHP 7.0 apparently broke CRG feedback

#4 2018-12-12 18:09:16

Re: Updating to PHP 7.0 apparently broke CRG feedback

#5 2018-12-13 03:47:17

Re: Updating to PHP 7.0 apparently broke CRG feedback

#6 2018-12-13 03:49:35

Re: Updating to PHP 7.0 apparently broke CRG feedback

#7 2018-12-13 04:02:19

Re: Updating to PHP 7.0 apparently broke CRG feedback

#8 2018-12-13 04:16:15

Re: Updating to PHP 7.0 apparently broke CRG feedback

#9 2018-12-13 04:26:12

Re: Updating to PHP 7.0 apparently broke CRG feedback

#10 2018-12-13 05:14:28

Re: Updating to PHP 7.0 apparently broke CRG feedback

#11 2018-12-13 09:01:40

Re: Updating to PHP 7.0 apparently broke CRG feedback

#12 2018-12-13 11:22:52

Re: Updating to PHP 7.0 apparently broke CRG feedback

#13 2018-12-14 08:01:40

Re: Updating to PHP 7.0 apparently broke CRG feedback

#14 2018-12-14 08:03:51

Re: Updating to PHP 7.0 apparently broke CRG feedback

#15 2018-12-14 08:32:01

Re: Updating to PHP 7.0 apparently broke CRG feedback

#16 2018-12-14 09:12:32

Re: Updating to PHP 7.0 apparently broke CRG feedback

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