[Typo3-linux] some rather major Typo3 problems

[typo3 at atu.cjb.net]

Let me start by saying that I thought the feature list and first impressions of Typo3 were amazing.  It looks great and can do way more than any other CMS I have looked at.

First, let me give my specs:

Hardware:

* AMD Thunderbird 1,133Mhz
* 512MB SDRAM
* 60GB Maxtor hard drive
* 2.5Mbps ADSL

Software:

* Linux kernel ...... 2.4.20  (linux-2.4.20)
* GNU/Slackware ..... 8.0     (base system, everything else via source)
* Typo3 ............. 3.5.0   (typo3_src-3.5.0)
* PHP ............... 4.3.2   (php-4.3.2)
* MySQL ............. 4.0.13  (mysql-standard-4.0.13-pc-linux-i686)
                      3.23.55 (mysql-3.23.55)
* ImageMagic ........ 5.2.6   (ImageMagick-5.2.6)
                      5.4.9   (ImageMagick-5.4.9)
                      5.5.7   (ImageMagick-5.5.7-4)
                      5.5.7   (ImageMagick-5.5.7-9)
* GDlib ............. 2.0.12  (gd-2.0.12gif)
                      2.0.15  (gd-2.0.15)
                      x.x.x   (bundled with PHP 4.3.2)

I have been trying to get Typo3 installed for over a week, with an endless onslaught of problems.  I have a couple years of experience with GNU/Linux administration, and this has been the most problematic piece of software to get running, ever, bar none.  I am not sure where exactly to start, there have been so many problems.

The single biggest problem with Typo3: it recommends that you use ancient software.  For example it recommends ImageMagick 4.x.x, which is many years old and which will not even compile on a modern system.  It also recommends GDlib 1.x.x which is also very old.  The only recommended GDlib for use with PHP is the one that comes bundled with that distribution, not the external library.  Why would Typo3 software be built on such an old and outdated software set ?

Next problem: Typo3 uses a depreciated function called mysql_create_db(). Information on this function is at http://ca.php.net/mysql_create_db and it states there that mysql_query() should be used instead.  It also states that ?This function will not be available if the MySQL extension was built against a MySQL 4.x client library.?  I assume this would be my problem with PHP 4.x.x, as Apache gives me this error when I try to create a new database for use with Typo3:

[client 127.0.0.1] PHP Fatal error:  Call to undefined function:  mysql_create_db() in /usr/local/Typo3/typo3_src-3.5.0/t3lib/class.t3lib_install.php on line 1663, referer: http://www.ravenmorris.com/typo3/install/index.php?TYPO3_INSTALL[type]=config

Third major problem: ImageMagick.  I have tried four versions of ImageMagick and have tried unsuccessfully to install the ancient 4.x.x series recommended by the author.  After a ton of fighting with the configuration of ImageMagick in Typo3, I was able to get it to load PNG images.  It turned out the problem there was that it was adding [1] to the end of the PNG filenames, which is not a valid thing to with with PNGs.  Images such as multipage TIFFs accept that format, not single-page PNG files.  Next ImageMagick problem is with image masks used in some of the special effects.  I have tried every possible combination of [im_version_5], [im_negate_mask] and [im_imvMaskState].  I was a bit disturbed to find out that when you set the [im_negate_mask] it overrides the other option.  Irregardless, no combination of those three options changes the command lines that are passed on to ImageMagick that appear in the forms on the ?3: Image Processing? pages.  The image mask is always!
  inverted, on all versions of ImageMagick and GDlib that I have tried, with all available options tried out.  I deleted the typo3temp/* between each try, as I was unsure if it was regenerating the images or not.  As an example, here are the commands being passed and which options were set:

All the following option settings produce this ImageMagick command:

/usr/local/bin/composite -compose over /Raven/Web_Server/ravenmorris.com/typo3/ext/install/imgs/greenback.gif /Raven/Web_Server/ravenmorris.com/typo3/ext/install/imgs/jesus.jpg /Raven/Web_Server/ravenmorris.com/typo3/ext/install/imgs/blackwhite_mask.gif /Raven/Web_Server/ravenmorris.com/typo3temp/install_44f1273ab1.jpg

[GFX][im_version_5]    = 0
[GFX][im_negate_mask]  = 1
[GFX][im_imvMaskState] = 0

[GFX][im_version_5]    = 0
[GFX][im_negate_mask]  = 0
[GFX][im_imvMaskState] = 1

[GFX][im_version_5]    = 1
[GFX][im_negate_mask]  = 1
[GFX][im_imvMaskState] = 0

[GFX][im_version_5]    = 1
[GFX][im_negate_mask]  = 0
[GFX][im_imvMaskState] = 1

It will not allow me to set both [im_negate_mask] and [im_imvMaskState] to off or on at the same time.

I can provide any further information that any of you might need to suggest me how I can get my copy of Typo3 running.  I have tried everything I can think of to get it fully working, with no luck.

 - raven morris