6.2 Internal Server Error on bib shortcode

Correction on the Admin user thing. It did stop working again suddenly for Admin users as well. If I cleared the plugin cache again, it started working for admins again, but continues to throw the same console users for normal users (not logged in), at least.

Reverting to 6.1.6 does seem to correct the problem. The included site URL link is working fine now that this site was rolled back to that version.

I’m going to revert the other sites as well, until we can figure this one out. Katie, if you need me to test, I’ve got a development site running on the same environment that’s demonstrating the same error. I can make an account for you there to log into the website if you want to see the error through the console as well.

Oh, this is odd. Feel free to test. Is it happening with every shortcode?

It’s happening with every instance of a shortcode of the type:

[zotpress collection="B8RRN3IK" style="apa" sortby="author" target="new" cite="yes"]

In text citations and their bibliographies seem fine, of this type:

[zotpressInText item="{WI3X66Z4}" format="(%a%, %d%)"]

and

[zotpressInTextBib style="apa" sort="ASC"]

It’s happening with every instance of a shortcode of the type:

[zotpress collection="B8RRN3IK" style="apa" sortby="author" target="new" cite="yes"]

In text citations and their bibliographies seem fine, of this type:

[zotpressInText item="{WI3X66Z4}" format="(%a%, %d%)"]

and

[zotpressInTextBib style="apa" sort="ASC"]

Any changes in 6.2 that wouldn’t be compatible with PHP 5.3.3 (running on a RHEL 6.9 server; 5.3 is the distro’s version of PHP)?

I haven’t tried to replicate it under a newer version of PHP yet.

(I can’t see my previous comment to reply to, so I assume it’s in moderation, but this is the shortcode that reproduces the problem for me:)
[zotpress collection="DV884EHE" style="chicago-author-date" download="no" notes="yes" sortby="author"]

With apologies for the repost if my original comments turn up, this is what reproduces it for me:

WordPress 4.8.1 running Skeptical – WordPress.com theme.

Zotpress v 6.2

PHP v 5.6.31

Browsers: Chrome (logged in as admin) and Opera (not)

Example page (see Bibliography at bottom)

Server log:
[Sat Aug 19 21:18:47.370603 2017] [:warn] [pid 47856] [client 146.198.154.239:50474] Timeout waiting for output from CGI script /home/thevega5/public_html/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php, referer: https://theveganoption.org/wp-admin/plugins.php?plugin_status=all&paged=1&s

Chrome complaints of 500 error on this GET request: LINK (because I can’t post the comment if I put it in a code escape)

And as mentioned, it fails on this shortcode:
[zotpress collection="DV884EHE" style="chicago-author-date" download="no" notes="yes" sortby="author"]

Thanks for making Zotpress, Katie, it’s been really useful. And if there’s more data I can gather to help fix this, please say.

I’ll try to check this on my end in the next couple of days but one quick idea — have you tried a different style? e.g., apa

I’m afraid changing the style to APA reproduces the bug.

Reverted to 6.16, and I still get the bug. I did not get the bug when I was on 6.1.6 before.

(Though I’m administering WP via hosting service SiteGround, rather than my own direct install. So if there are any steps required to absolutely ensure that a plugin is fully reverted, such as restarting the server or flushing the server cache, I have not taken them.)

So you know, I’ve deactivated Zotpress because my CPU share was hitting its limit, and I suspect that Zotpress is why. I’ll be happy to reactivate it again for you to take a look (or if you tell me that’s not a feasible link).

I’ve checked out both your shortcodes and they’re working on my end (and @joe-alberts the web link in your first post seems to be working — unless I’m missing something).

I did change two things this version: updated the database, and used Zlib encoding. I found out recently that even though it’s supported by the common versions of PHP in the docs, it’s not always included by default.

Do either of you want to try the workaround before I release? I can’t seem to replicate the error so that would be helpful … https://katieseaborn.com/contact

• This reply was modified 7 years, 3 months ago by Katie.

Sure, I’ll be happy to try it. (And send you error logs, if you want to send me one with debugging output turned on, or tell me how to turn it on.)

Yup, I should be able to test out the workaround.

@kseaborn, the page from my initial post is working after I rolled back to 6.1.6. @drianmcdonald, I just deleted the entire contents of the plugin folder on the server and re-uploaded the contents from the previous version. Likely have to clear your site’s cache, and even the plugin’s cache (under Zotpress > Accounts).