Setting BaseDir to UNC path on remote file share causes Err

I've got a license for the ASP version of CKFinder, and am trying to integrate with a web application hosted on W2K3. In this particular instance, the images are to be stored on a remote server. I've tried several approaches in trying to get this to work - unfortunately, every time I try to set BaseDir (in config.asp) to a UNC path (such as \\xxx\dir\images\) on remote file share, I get an error from ckfinder_ie.js (line 44, char 3507) about "Object Required," and the thumbnails for the images in that directory never load. Has anyone configured these remote file shares successfully with the ASP version of the product?

I've configured this directory in IIS as a virtual directory (userfiles/images), with this UNC path, and have verified that the everyone account has full permissions on the ACL and on the share.

Mon, 11/23/2009 - 21:15

alfonsoml

Joined: 31/12/2006

Posts: 3737

Re: Setting BaseDir to UNC path on remote file share causes Err

Please, try to run this wizard: viewtopic.php?f=10&t=13604

Tue, 11/24/2009 - 19:41

jdowl13808

Joined: 23/11/2009

Posts: 3

Re: Setting BaseDir to UNC path on remote file share causes Err

I've installed and used the wizard - nice tool

It tells me that "Failed to validate the baseDir setting.
The folder '\\llx-sql2000\D\Sites\bmephotos' doesn't exist. Please create it and make it writeable"

I can copy and paste the above baseDir value into Windows file explorer on the ckfinder server and it goes there - the directory does exist and is writable. Any thoughts on what I'm doing wrong?

Tue, 11/24/2009 - 20:34

alfonsoml

Joined: 31/12/2006

Posts: 3737

Re: Setting BaseDir to UNC path on remote file share causes Err

It's clear that the message should be more specific. The problem is that the account used at that moment for the web server doesn't have the proper permissions to access the remote server.

I remember that other user reported some similar problem, but I was unable to reproduce his environment as he was using a domain with w2k3 servers and I don't have that kind of luxury.

Try to find out the user account that it's being used for IIS (and the asp.net) in your servers and try to make them work on the other server. I'll try to find out a way to provide more info with the wizard but I can't promise anything.

Tue, 11/24/2009 - 20:39

jdowl13808

Joined: 23/11/2009

Posts: 3

Re: Setting BaseDir to UNC path on remote file share causes Err

Alright - think I've got it thanks to your wizard, and your latest post. When I ignored the error I posted before, and allowed the rest of the wizard to run, I was able to get more detailed debug information than the default debug feature in ckfinder, and trace the code a little better.

Although I had configured "everyone" to be allowed access on share and on directory, the ckfinder server IUSR account still has to gain permission as a guest, and with the guest account disabled, access cannot be gained. Solution is to create a service account in the domain, add the account to appropriate groups on the application and image servers, and change the directory security in IIS to use the service account instead of the default IUSER_XX account.

Tue, 11/24/2009 - 22:04

alfonsoml

Joined: 31/12/2006

Posts: 3737

Re: Setting BaseDir to UNC path on remote file share causes Err

That's great. I'm a little dense right now and I'm not sure if I've understood everything properly but at the very least your description might help other people in the same situation.

The debug feature of CKFinder is certainly not very useful by itself but the wizard does use it at the right times (together with enabling asp.net error messages) so it can provide enough info to understand better what's going on and I'm glad that it has helped you to find out exactly the problem. Now I would like to find the way to improve it to automatically try to detect a situation like yours or at least provide better suggestions, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to do it correctly.

Thanks for your feedback.