No errors — but I cannot get past the login page on a new install

[ErikMH]

I’m new to Processwire. I’ve installed the current release version at my very-long-time (25 years) host, pair Networks. MySQL db is created. Installation process completed with no errors.

I’m now trying to log in. Rather than taking the default `/admin` suggestion, I chose `/xyzzy`. When I go to `example.com/xyzzy`, PW displays a login screen, as expected. I enter the username (`xyzzy`) and password that I assigned (and copied and stored in 1Password) in the installation process (five words separated by hyphens). So far, so good.

I would expect then to be taken to the admin pages. Or (if I got something wrong) to be given an error message. Instead, I’m taken to the URL `example.com/xyzzy/page/?login=1`, which as far as I can tell is exactly the same as the initial login page. No error is given.

I grew so frustrated by this, that I deleted the entire installation and the MySQL database, re-downloaded PW, installed it again using a different username and password for the admin account.

And I’m seeing exactly the same behavior. Time for me to ask you experts: WTF?

Many thanks for any insights you may have....

 

[elabx]

Can you try on site/config.php:

$config->sessionFingerprint = false;
$config->sessionChallenge = false;

 

[adrian]

Sorry if this is a silly / obvious thing, but please note that setting the page name for the admin to xyzzy doesn't also set the admin/superuser's name to xyzzy as well. Did you explicitly set it to xyzzy as well?

[ErikMH]

31 minutes ago, elabx said:

Can you try on site/config.php:

$config->sessionFingerprint = false;
$config->sessionChallenge = false;

 

Those were not in the file to un-comment, so I added them. Not knowing where to put them, I put them at the very top of the file.

And — bingo! — I can log in! Yea! Thank you!

Now.... Can you tell me what I’ve done, why those lines weren’t already in the file, and where I should actually put them in the file?

17 minutes ago, adrian said:

Sorry if this is a silly / obvious thing, but please note that setting the page name for the admin to xyzzy doesn't also set the admin/superuser's name to xyzzy as well. Did you explicitly set it to xyzzy as well?

Not at all — that’s an excellent question. I did explicity set it that way — but you’re right: I should’ve explicitly mentioned it here. Thanks for thinking of it!

[elabx]

2 hours ago, ErikMH said:

Can you tell me what I’ve done, why those lines weren’t already in the file, and where I should actually put them in the file?

That's a very good question haha, it just happened to me just today when moving a live site to local development for some upgrades and found the recommendation around the forum, I didn't dig much deeper into the exact issue with the fingerprint and the change of environment. 

Though I can tell you I noticed that had to be related to the fingerprint because the session log shows a message about it. You should still be able to something under /site/assets/log/session.txt. 

I can also tell you that those lines are not originally on the file because the site/config.php file is sort of an "override" to the more complete wire/config.php. So in that link I pasted you can see the whole  configuration, and on the site/config.php file you specify exact details of your installation. I don't think the order is really relevant on this files as the values defined are used further in the actual execution of the ProcessWire scripts. 

 

[ErikMH]

Excellent, @elabx — thank you again. It turns out it was the fingerprinting (not the sessionChallenge) — and I’m guessing it’s because I’m using Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.1 WARP for my local connection. I’ve removed the sessionChallenge override, and moved the sessionFingerprint line down in site/config.php to the spot that would correspond to where it is in wire/config.php. Everything’s still working, so I’m happy and I’ve learned something. Thanks!

Onwards, through the fog!

[wbmnfktr]

Is your site using or running on the Cloudflare CDN as well?

If so you might want to add custom page rules in Cloudflare to disable all kinds of caching for /youradminarea/*.

Because that really interferes with your ProcessWire session and can make life quite hard.

[ErikMH]

Ooh, thank you for this pointer, @wbmnfktr. I’ve done just what you suggested!