Problem phrasing the question.

pwbiggs · #1 May 10th, 2007, 16:17

I can usually fix computer problems myself using manuals, Google or searching forums. But for this problem I'm not sure where to look, or of the terminology to even phrase the question - or even if I'm in the right forum.

I'm a home user leaning LAMP so I can eventually brighten up my web site. I've been doing an exercise in PHP
The code generates the page OK ( a table filled with links to playlists of my music ) but when I click the links nothing happens.
If I copy the code of the page from the browser and save it as a HTML it all works OK. The playback program (WinAmp in this case) runs with the correct playlist loaded and plays the tracks.
Now I'm sure this is a security related question of some type in that Apache or PHP is stopping the generated web page from executing the program and there's some way to authorize it. Should I be looking into the httpd file, php.ini, .htaccess or somewhere else?
Apache and PHP are running on the same machine that holds the music files.

Donny Bahama · #2 May 10th, 2007, 18:56

First of all, it would be really helpful to see the code.

Where are you saving that html file to? And when you open it in a browser (and the links work), are you simply opening it as an html file within your directory structure? Or are you saving it within httpdocs and opening it as a http://localhost/yourpage.html? Also, where are the playlist files saved and how exactly are you referencing them in your links?

My guess is that there's a path issue. If you're saving the html file to the same directory as the php file and accessing it via http via your local host apache server, there's no reason for it to behave any differently as an html file vice a php file.

pwbiggs · #3 May 10th, 2007, 19:41

You've helped narrow down the problem already. I hadn't thought of making Apache serve the .htm file. If I put in the browser 'file:///D:/WebDev/Apache/htdocs/local/test.htm' the music links work OK, if I put http://localhost/local/test.htm they don't. That proves the problem is Apache's not something in php. Thanks. Ahh, but how to fix it?...
The playlists and the music files are on my NAS device. The script goes to the playlist directory, lists all the files and sets them up in a table with html links to them. But I have copied one playlist and the directory for that playlists' songs into my D:/WebDev/Apache/htdocs/local/ directory and that doesn't work either. I've included the full code below...

Quote:

<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=windows-1252">
<title>My Music</title>

<?php
# User Defined Variables
$background_loc='images/christina_aguilera.jpg'; # background picture for the web page (when I put in the full path it wouldn't work in the browser?)
$target_dir='F:\My Documents\My Music\Playlists'; # The top level directory to be listed
$collection_title="My Music"; # Collection title will appear at the top of the page
# subdirectory titles take their names from the directory itself
$file_extn=".m3u"; # file extensions to strip out
$font_colour="black"; # main font colour
$title_font_colour="red"; # title font colour
$link_colour="yellow"; # link colour in format FFFF66 or red yellow
# Other variables
$array_number=0; # used to count the number of elements in the file array
$count=0; # General counter inside loops
$temp=""; # General temporary string variable
$file_count=0; # Number of files being processed
$loop_count=0; # General counter for loops
$filelist_a=$artist_a=$title_a=""; # Arrays for filename, artist and title
echo '<style type="text/css">
body {font-family:Addled; color:',$font_colour,';}
</style>
</head>';

echo '<body background="',$background_loc,'" style="background-attachment: fixed">';
echo '<font color="',$title_font_colour,'"><h1>  &nb sp;',$collection_title,'...</font></h1>';

# Read all files in the current directory (striping out . and ..) into an array
$count=-1; # Set count to -1 so the count increments in step with the array that starts at 0
if ($handle = opendir($target_dir))
{ while (false !== ($file = readdir($handle)))
{ if ($file != "." && $file != "..")
{
$count++;
$filelist_a[]=$file;
}
}
}
closedir($handle);
sort($filelist_a);
$file_count=$count+1; # count+1 because array (and therefore count) starts at 0($filelist_a[$count], "-");
$count=0;
while ($count<>$file_count)
{
$pos = strpos($filelist_a[$count], "-");
# Test to make sure '-' is in the filename
# Note our use of ===. Good practise in case the search character is the first (position 0) which would return a false false
if ($pos === false)
{
$title_a[]="Dash not in filename.";
$artist_a[]=$filelist_a[$count];
}
else
{
# Split the filename in two, trim off trailing spaces and the file extension
$artist_a[]=trim(substr($filelist_a[$count],0,$pos-1));
$title_a[]=trim(substr($filelist_a[$count],$pos+1),$file_extn);
# Constuct the path to the file
$temp='file:///'.$target_dir.'/'.$filelist_a[$count];
$filelist_a[$count]=str_replace(' ','%20',$temp);
}
$count++;
}

echo '<font color="',$title_font_colour,'"><h3>  &nb sp;  ',$file_count,' playlists...</h3>';

# Calculate counter values for two pairs of table columns
$count=0;
$count2=ceil($file_count/2); # ceil rounds fractions up
if (is_float($count2)) {$count2=$count2; $loop_count=$count2-1;} else {$loop_count=$count2;}

//echo '<p><a href="http://www.google.co.uk/">google</a></p>';
//echo '<p><a href="file:///D:/WebDev/Apache/htdocs/local/Pink.m3u">Pink</a></p>';
# Start building the table
echo '<table border="1" width="100%"><tr>';
while ($count<=round($loop_count))
{
# Build table line
echo '<td>',$artist_a[$count],'</td><td>','<p><a href="',$filelist_a[$count],'"><font color="',$link_colour,'">',$title_a[$count],
'</a></p>','</td><td> </td><td>',$artist_a[$count2],'</td><td>','<p><a href="',$filelist_a[$count2],'"><font color="',$link_colour,'">',$title_a[$count2],'</a></p>','</td></tr>';
$count++;
$count2++;
}
echo'</table>
<p><font color="#FFFF00">
<a href="file:///c:/program%20files/winamp.exe">Pink</a></font></p>';
//<a href="file:///D:/WebDev/Apache/htdocs/local/Pink.m3u">Pink</a></font></p>';
//
//
//
// echo "<pre>";
// var_dump($filelist_a);
// echo "</pre>";
// echo "<pre>";
// var_dump($artist_a);
// echo "</pre>";
// echo "<pre>";
// var_dump($title_a);
// echo "</pre>";
//
//
?>

</html>

The resulting html.... (I forced the $loop_count to 3 before running and copying the html as I didn't think a list of my 44 albums would tell you much more than my taste in music

Quote:

<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=windows-1252">
<title>My Music</title>

<style type="text/css">
body {font-family:Addled; color:black;}
</style>
</head>
<body background="../images/christina_aguilera.jpg" style="background-attachment: fixed"><font color="red"><h1>   My Music...</font></h1><font color="red"><h3>   
  44 playlists...</h3><table border="1" width="100%"><tr><td>All Saints</td><td><p><a href="file:///F:\My%20Documents\My%20Music\Playlists/All%20Saints%20-%20All%20Saints.m3u"><font
color="yellow"> All Saints</a></p></td><td> </td><td>Mariah Carey</td><td><p><a href="file:///F:\My%20Documents\My%20Music\Playlists/Mariah%20Carey%20-%20Music%20Box.m3u"><font color="yellow">
Music Box</a></p></td></tr><td>Atomic Kitten</td><td><p><a href="file:///F:\My%20Documents\My%20Music\Playlists/Atomic%20Kitten%20-%20Right%20now.m3u"><font color="yellow"> Right now</a></p>
</td><td> </td><td>Michael Jackson</td><td><p><a href="file:///F:\My%20Documents\My%20Music\Playlists/Michael%20Jackson%20-%20Dangerous.m3u"><font color="yellow"> Dangerous</a></p></td></tr><td>
Avril Lavigne</td><td><p><a href="file:///F:\My%20Documents\My%20Music\Playlists/Avril%20Lavigne%20-%20Let%20Go.m3u"><font color="yellow"> Let Go</a></p></td><td> </td><td>Pink</td><td><p>
<a href="file:///F:\My%20Documents\My%20Music\Playlists/Pink%20-%20I'm%20Not%20Dead.m3u"><font color="yellow"> I'm Not Dead</a></p></td></tr><td>Belinda Carlisle</td><td><p>
<a href="file:///F:\My%20Documents\My%20Music\Playlists/Belinda%20Carlisle%20-%20Heaven%20On%20Earth.m3u"><font color="yellow"> Heaven On Earth</a></p></td><td> </td><td>Robbie Williams</td>
<td><p><a href="file:///F:\My%20Documents\My%20Music\Playlists/Robbie%20Williams%20-%20I've%20Been%20Expecting%20You.m3u"><font color="yellow"> I've Been Expecting Yo</a></p></td></tr></table>

<p><font color="#FFFF00">
<a href="file:///D:/WebDev/Apache/htdocs/local/Pink.m3u">Pink</a></font></p>
</html>

Any ideas on how to fix it would be great, but even a pointer in the right direction would be much appreciated.

Donny Bahama · #4 May 10th, 2007, 20:00

I wouldn't necessarily call that an apache problem, per se. It's more an issue of making sure that file system objects (outside Apache's httpdocs structure) are accessible from a web page. If you create a subdirectory "mysongs" in the directory where your php file exists, then edit the .m3u file to use relative paths ("mysongs/song1.mp3" etc.) then use <a href="test.m3u">play test playlist</a> - I think you'll find it will work fine. Getting apache to look at file:///d:/whatever is tricky. (It's been a while since I've tried this.)

Does your NAS have a webserver on it?

Donny Bahama · #5 May 10th, 2007, 20:09

Maybe this will help- it's a page from a site I'm currently working on...
http://stickpuppy.com/dhs57/yearinreview.php
View the source on that page to get a feel for what it takes to play an m3u file. (NOTE: you don't need to do things like
<a href="file:///c:/program%20files/winamp.exe">Pink</a>
You should just post the links to the m3u files and let your browser handle the app used to play them. (Configure your browser as necessary if Winamp isn't currently the app associated with m3u files.)

Also right click on the jukebox on that page and save the .m3u file somewhere local and have a look at it.

pwbiggs · #6 May 10th, 2007, 20:26

OK, thanks, I'll have a look tomorrow. It's getting a little late here now to engage the brain.

Later...

pwbiggs · #7 May 13th, 2007, 12:15

The .m3u files already use relative addressing - as I found out when I moved them

Putting in "echo '<a href="Pink.m3u">Pink</a></font></p>';" did invoke the WinAmp player but it just cycled through the playlist without playing anything. This is its action if it cannot find the songs.

Putting in "echo '<a href="01 Stupid Girls.flac">Pink</a></font></p>';" generates an 'Opening' box so I can 'open With' WinAmp or save to disk. If I open with WinAmp it plays this single song OK.

I looked at your playlist and thought I'd replicate the format as it uses web paths to the songs rather than relative addressing. This format also cycled through the playlist without playing.

I think I do have a problem with my Apache set up that is not allowing 'secondary' running of files or programs for legitimate security purposes. I'm going to post on an Apache forum and ask for clues there, but if you or anyone else here come up with ideas to try I'd like to hear them.

And yes, my NAS does have a webserver on it, but I'm choosing not to use it as I'm trying to learn stuff on the PC. Also the instructions for getting it working are non-existant.

pwbiggs · #8 May 14th, 2007, 21:40

A quick update. I now know how to phrase the question. How to you stream flac files from Apache? When I tested WAV files the playlists worked OK. It's just flac's that wont stream. It looks like a config problem in Apache but someone in this web forum may well have come across the problem.

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Problem phrasing the question.