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==Changing text in Moodle==
{{Installing Moodle}}==Changing text in Moodle==


The language editing interface in ''Administration > Language > [[Language editing]]'' enables you to easily change any word or phrase used on the site.  You may need to search through several files to find the word or phrase you are looking for. The file moodle.php contains all common site-wide phrases and the admin.php contains many admin phrases.
The language editing interface in ''Administration > Language> [[Language_customization|Language customisation]]'' enables you to easily change any word or phrase used on the site.  You may need to search through several files to find the word or phrase you are looking for. The file moodle.php contains all common site-wide phrases and the admin.php contains many admin phrases.


== How do the limits on uploaded files work? ==
== How do the limits on uploaded files work? ==
See [[File upload size]] for more information. 


File upload sizes are restricted in a number of ways - each one in the list restricts the following ones.
File upload sizes are restricted in a number of ways - each one in the list restricts the following ones.


1. Firstly, there is a setting in Apache 2 which you may need to change. On Redhat this setting is very low by default, you can change the limit by adding or editing a line in Apache's ''/etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf'' and/or ''/etc/httpd/conf.d/php.conf'' with the upload size in bytes (different operating systems may have these files in different locations):
1. Not very likely these days (i.e. check if the other settings don't work), there is a setting in Apache 2 which you may need to change. You can change the limit by adding or editing a line in Apache's ''/usr/local/apache2/conf/httpd.conf'' with the upload size in bytes (check your operating system's documentation for the correct location - e.g. under /etc/apache2 is a common alternative):


  LimitRequestBody 10485760
  LimitRequestBody 10485760


2. PHP also has two more byte limits, which you can set in ''php.ini'' and sometimes in a ''.htaccess'' file. If you try to set these in .htaccess the entries will look like this:
2. PHP also has limits. If you have access to it they are set in your site-wide '''php.ini''' file. On shared hosting you may be able to set these in a ''.htaccess'' file or a ''php.ini''. You are recommended to check with your hosting company how this works on their systems.


php_value upload_max_filesize 50000000
In a php.ini file the lines will look something like:
php_value post_max_size 50000000
<pre>
    upload_max_filesize 64M
    post_max_size 64M
</pre>


Copy the updated php.ini file to the following five folders:
...in .htaccess the entries will look like this:
<code>
php_value upload_max_filesize 64M
php_value post_max_size 64M
</code>


An .htaccess file usually can be placed in the root of your Moodle install and will affect the whole Moodle. A (non site-wide) php.ini file may need to be copied into all the directories it needs to affect. The following are a good start:
     * public_html
     * public_html
     * moodle/admin
     * moodle/admin
     * moodle/course
     * moodle/course
     * moodle/files
     * moodle/files
    * moodle/repository
     * root of your moodledata directory
     * root of your moodledata directory


Details on setting these in your php.ini can be found [could have been found in [[Installing Moodle/Creating custom php.ini files]].
Please note that a server re-start may be required for the above changes to take effect.
 
To convert from Bytes to Megabytes use [http://www.onlineconversion.com/computer.htm this convertor ]


Please note that a server re-start may be required for the above changes to take effect.
3. Moodle has a site-wide limit called maxbytes that may be set in Settings > Site Administration > Security > Site Policies > Maximum uploaded file size.


3. Moodle has a site-wide limit called maxbytes that may be set in Site Administration  block > Security > Site Policies > Maximum uploaded file size. In older version it is located in ''Administration > Configuration > [[admin/config|Variables]]''.
To find out the server limit setting in php.ini (without server access, just using the Moodle administration interface), check out ''Site Administration block > Server > PHP info'' (Tip: search for filesize)


4. A limit may be set by teachers in the [[course/edit|Course settings]].
4. A limit may be set by teachers in the [[course/edit|Course settings]].
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== I have forgotten the admin password ==
== I have forgotten the admin password ==
Firstly, try using the button "Send my details via email". Otherwise, you will need to access the database using MySQL admin. Passwords for all users, including admin, are stored encrypted in the table ''mdl_user''. Copy the guest password (guest) into the admin password field then login using it.
First, try using the button "Send my details via email".
 
It is possible to reset the admin user's password using [[Administration_via_command_line#Reset_user_password|command line tools]] provided with Moodle.
 
Failing that, if you can access the database using an administration tool, you can modify a password there. Passwords for all users, including admin, are stored as cryptographic hashes in the table ''mdl_user''. You can manually replace the old hash with md5 value of the new password, it will be upgraded to the strong hash value after the first log-in.


Additional solutions are detailed in the discussions [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=18103 change admin's password] and [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=4552&parent=38070 login/password].
Additional solutions are detailed in the discussions [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=18103 change admin's password] and [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=4552&parent=38070 login/password].
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Browsers usually cache style sheets and so a forced refresh (CTRL + F5) is required before any changes show up.
Browsers usually cache style sheets and so a forced refresh (CTRL + F5) is required before any changes show up.
 
Also, in ''Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme selector'', click "clear theme caches".
==How do I make my Moodle site homepage look like the moodle.org homepage?==
 
Please see the theme how-to [[Homepage design|homepage design of moodle.org]] for full details.


== Site-wide scales ==
== Site-wide scales ==
To add a site-wide scale, available in all courses, follow the Scales link in any course Administration block. Add a new scale, then use the move down arrow to move the scale from custom scales to standard scales.
*To add a site-wide scale, available in all courses, go to ''Settings>Site administration>Grades>Scales'' and click the button "Add a new scale".
*As an administrator you also have the right to add site-wide scales within a course by going to ''Settings>Course administration>Grades>Scales''. (A regular teacher cannot do this.)


==Why do I see <nowiki>[[missing strings]]</nowiki>?==
==Why do I see <nowiki>[[missing strings]]</nowiki>?==
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Typically, you might see an error message like './moodle/mdl_quiz_grades' is marked as crashed and should be repaired. See [[How to check your database for corruption]] for the solution.
Typically, you might see an error message like './moodle/mdl_quiz_grades' is marked as crashed and should be repaired. See [[How to check your database for corruption]] for the solution.
==Re. Site files, what does "files placed here can be accessed by anyone" mean?==
Unlike course files, which require a user to have appropriate rights in order to access them, files within the [[Site files|site files]] folder are accessible by anyone files who knows, or can guess, the URL.  This means that visitors to the site can view images stored in the site files folder without being logged in.
The site files folder may be used for uploading a course backup zip file prior to restoring it. For security reasons, it is recommended that you delete the backup file immediately after restoring it.


==My site is stuck in maintenance mode==
==My site is stuck in maintenance mode==


Sometimes Moodle gets stuck in maintenance mode and you'll see the message "This site is undergoing maintenance and is currently unavailable" despite your attempts to turn-off maintenance mode. When you put Moodle into maintenance mode it creates a file called maintenance.html in moodledata/1/maintenance.html (the site files folder). To fix this try the following:
Sometimes Moodle gets stuck in maintenance mode and you'll see the message "This site is undergoing maintenance and is currently unavailable" despite your attempts to turn-off maintenance mode. When you put Moodle into maintenance mode it creates a file called maintenance.html in moodledata/maintenance.html (the site files folder). To fix this try the following:


* Check that the web server user has write permissions to the moodledata folder.
* Check that the web server user has write permissions to the moodledata folder.
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If you find an incompatible module or block, please report the problem to the person named as the maintainer in the [http://moodle.org/mod/data/view.php?id=6009 Modules and Plugins database].
If you find an incompatible module or block, please report the problem to the person named as the maintainer in the [http://moodle.org/mod/data/view.php?id=6009 Modules and Plugins database].


=="a request parameter (id) was missing" when uploading a file==
=="a required parameter (id) was missing" when uploading a file==


This message sometimes is generated when attempting to upload a file larger than the upload limit.
This message sometimes is generated when attempting to upload a file larger than the upload limit.
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'''See also''': [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=51667 Forum discussion]
'''See also''': [http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=51667 Forum discussion]
==Why is the Moodle Registration button still displayed after I register my site?==
The registration button is provided so that you can place your moodle site to the http://www.moodle.org/sites list. Before registering, the button is displayed at the top of the Site Administration -> Notifications page. Once you have successfully registered, this is moved to the bottom of the same page. The button remains there so that you can update the details of your registration.
If the registration process fails for some reason to complete fully, there are two methods of letting your local Moodle install know that you have registered:
* The preferred method is to use your mysql client program to execute these commands (assuming your Moodle database is called "moodle"):
mysql> USE moodle;
mysql> INSERT INTO mdl_config (name,value) VALUES ('registered',unix_timestamp());
* Alternatively, edit your <nowiki>moodle/config.php</nowiki> file and add this line:
$CFG->registered = '9999999999';
:Note that this line in your config.php will stop the reminders about re-registering.
For an explanation of the idea behind the button see [http://tracker.moodle.org/browse/MDL-7359 MDL-7359] in the moodle tracker.
For an explanation of how sites are checked see [[Verification_of_sites_on_moodle.org | the site verification page]]


==How do I enable/disable debugging?==
==How do I enable/disable debugging?==
See [[Debugging]]. If you are getting a blank or partially complete page, it is probably a sign that an error is occurring. Turning no debugging will let you see what the error message is, which may help you diagnose the problem.
See [[Debugging]]. If you are getting a blank or partially complete page, it is probably a sign that an error is occurring. Turning on debugging will let you see what the error message is, which may help you diagnose the problem.
 
==How do I install the Moodle Features Demo course?==
 
# Download the [http://demo.moodle.org/file.php/1/backup-features_demo-20081114-1356.zip Moodle Features Demo Course backup].
# Log into your Moodle installation as an administrator.
# Access ''Administration > Front Page > Site files''.
# Upload the backup file.
# Follow the restore link opposite the backup file.
# Follow the instructions provided, selecting the option to restore to a new course.
 
Note: The Moodle Features Demo Course backup may only be restored to Moodle 1.9.3 or later.


==I cannot login to the Moodle CVS servers==
==I cannot login to the Moodle CVS servers==
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The solution is to [[Debugging|turn on the debugging options]] temporarily. Then, when you go back to the problem page, you should see the error message. Once you had finished solving the problem, remember to turn debugging off again.
The solution is to [[Debugging|turn on the debugging options]] temporarily. Then, when you go back to the problem page, you should see the error message. Once you had finished solving the problem, remember to turn debugging off again.
==Why can't administrators post in the site news forum?==
Please check the following:
* Default role for all users (in ''Administration > Users > Permissions > [[User policies]]'') - should be set to Authenticated user
* Default frontpage role (in ''Administration > Front Page > [[Front Page settings]]'') - should be set to none or Student
* That the admin user is not assigned the role of guest as a system role or a front page role or in the site news forum context


==How can I fix just one bug, without upgrading my whole site?==
==How can I fix just one bug, without upgrading my whole site?==


Suppose:
Suppose:
* You are running an older Moodle version.
* You are experiencing a particular bug.
* You are experiencing a particular bug.
* You have searched in the [http://tracker.moodle.org/ tracker], and found that your problem is MDL-abc, and that it has been fixed in the latest version.
* You have searched in the [http://tracker.moodle.org/ tracker], and found that your problem is MDL-abc, and that it has been fixed in the latest version.
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==How can I change the initial login screen?==
==How can I change the initial login screen?==
Edit one of the language files.  Site administration block>language>language editing, look in the moodle.php file.  Look for ''loginusing''  or ''loginsteps'' or ''loginstepsnone'' string variables.
Edit one of the language files.  ''Settings > Site administration > Language> Language customisation'', look in the moodle.php file.  Look for ''loginusing''  or ''loginsteps'' or ''loginstepsnone'' string variables.
 
==How can I change the initial login screen help?==
 
To change or add a help message for the login go to ''Settings > Site administration > Plugins > Authentication > Manage authentication.'' Type your help message in there in the'' Instructions'' text box.
 
==Users can not login, they need cookies and debug mentions config.php==
Your site's [[Configuration file|config.php file]] probably has extra lines after '''?>'''.


==When will Moodle 2.0 be released?==
Solution is to delete the last '''?>'''.


We're aiming to release Moodle 2.0 beta in April 2010, followed by a testing period of several months before releasing 2.0 stable.
==After using the 'Login as' function, why am I logged out of Moodle?==


Please check the [[Roadmap]] and [http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pDVzrUsKEBnChh0nn7-FTYA Moodle 2.0 Planning document] for the most up-to-date information about our progress.
After using the 'Login as' function, for security reasons you are automatically logged out of Moodle when you return to your normal role. If you login again you will be redirected to the page that you were on previously.  


==See also==
==See also==
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* [[Errors FAQ]]
* [[Errors FAQ]]
* [[Installation FAQ]]
* [[Installation FAQ]]
* [[Administration hacks]]
* [[Beginning Administration FAQ]]


[[Category:FAQ]]
[[Category:FAQ]]
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[[es:FAQ Administración]]
[[es:FAQ Administración]]
[[fr:FAQ d'administration]]
[[fr:FAQ d'administration]]
[[pl:Administracja FAQ]]
[[ru:FAQ_по_администрированию]]
[[de:Administration FAQ]]
[[de:Administration FAQ]]

Latest revision as of 13:40, 8 November 2013

Changing text in Moodle

The language editing interface in Administration > Language> Language customisation enables you to easily change any word or phrase used on the site. You may need to search through several files to find the word or phrase you are looking for. The file moodle.php contains all common site-wide phrases and the admin.php contains many admin phrases.

How do the limits on uploaded files work?

See File upload size for more information.

File upload sizes are restricted in a number of ways - each one in the list restricts the following ones.

1. Not very likely these days (i.e. check if the other settings don't work), there is a setting in Apache 2 which you may need to change. You can change the limit by adding or editing a line in Apache's /usr/local/apache2/conf/httpd.conf with the upload size in bytes (check your operating system's documentation for the correct location - e.g. under /etc/apache2 is a common alternative):

LimitRequestBody 10485760

2. PHP also has limits. If you have access to it they are set in your site-wide php.ini file. On shared hosting you may be able to set these in a .htaccess file or a php.ini. You are recommended to check with your hosting company how this works on their systems.

In a php.ini file the lines will look something like:

    upload_max_filesize 64M
    post_max_size 64M

...in .htaccess the entries will look like this:

php_value upload_max_filesize 64M
php_value post_max_size 64M

An .htaccess file usually can be placed in the root of your Moodle install and will affect the whole Moodle. A (non site-wide) php.ini file may need to be copied into all the directories it needs to affect. The following are a good start:

   * public_html
   * moodle/admin
   * moodle/course
   * moodle/files
   * moodle/repository
   * root of your moodledata directory

Please note that a server re-start may be required for the above changes to take effect.

3. Moodle has a site-wide limit called maxbytes that may be set in Settings > Site Administration > Security > Site Policies > Maximum uploaded file size.

To find out the server limit setting in php.ini (without server access, just using the Moodle administration interface), check out Site Administration block > Server > PHP info (Tip: search for filesize)

4. A limit may be set by teachers in the Course settings.

5. Activity modules such as Forums and Assignments have their own limits which may be set when adding or editing the activity.

See also

How to change upload file size on a Windows localhost

In a localhost (using a Complete install packages for Windows on a computer) for 1.6 it is easy to change the uploaded file size to something larger than the default 16M.

Here is an example of how to change the upload file size to 100M.

  • Find ../php/php.ini and open it with WordPad by right-clicking -> Open With -> then choose WordPad.
  • In this file scroll or do a search on the text "_max_" to find upload_max_filesize = 16M
  • Change that line to
upload_max_filesize = 100M
  • In the same way, find post_max_size = 16M
  • Change that line to
post_max_size = 100M
  • Save the file.

After any changes to the php.ini file you need to restart Apache. So restart xampp and browse to localhost. You should find that the Upload file size in Configuration now reads 100M.

See also

  • Instructions below on How to change the maximum execution time

How to change the maximum execution time

A side-effect of increasing the file upload limit is that the php scripts may execute beyond the limit set by default (300 seconds/5 minutes). To change this, look for max_execution_time in php.ini and change to something like this:

max_execution_time = 600

If you are using Apache and have a .htaccess file to change php settings, add this line to your .htaccess file:

php_value max_execution_time 600

Restart your webserver for these changes to take effect, and check that the values have been changed by looking at your phpinfo output in the moodle admin -> environment page.

I have forgotten the admin password

First, try using the button "Send my details via email".

It is possible to reset the admin user's password using command line tools provided with Moodle.

Failing that, if you can access the database using an administration tool, you can modify a password there. Passwords for all users, including admin, are stored as cryptographic hashes in the table mdl_user. You can manually replace the old hash with md5 value of the new password, it will be upgraded to the strong hash value after the first log-in.

Additional solutions are detailed in the discussions change admin's password and login/password.

My log table has disappeared - No logs found!

The most likely cause is that the mdl_log table has become corrupted. See the How to check your database for corruption.

My style sheet changes aren't showing up

Browsers usually cache style sheets and so a forced refresh (CTRL + F5) is required before any changes show up. Also, in Settings>Site Administration>Appearance>Themes>Theme selector, click "clear theme caches".

Site-wide scales

  • To add a site-wide scale, available in all courses, go to Settings>Site administration>Grades>Scales and click the button "Add a new scale".
  • As an administrator you also have the right to add site-wide scales within a course by going to Settings>Course administration>Grades>Scales. (A regular teacher cannot do this.)

Why do I see [[missing strings]]?

Double square brackets around text indicate that language strings are missing. Try checking for untranslated words or phrases in Administration > Language > Language editing and update local language packs in Administration > Language > Language packs (or Administration > Configuration > Language in Moodle 1.6).

Language strings for non-standard modules and plugins are generally contained in a lang folder within the module or plugin folder. For sites which have migrated to UTF-8, it may be necessary to re-name the folder e.g. en should be re-named en_utf8.

How do I find the version of Moodle currently installed?

See the Moodle version information.

How do I repair a corrupted Moodle database?

Typically, you might see an error message like './moodle/mdl_quiz_grades' is marked as crashed and should be repaired. See How to check your database for corruption for the solution.

My site is stuck in maintenance mode

Sometimes Moodle gets stuck in maintenance mode and you'll see the message "This site is undergoing maintenance and is currently unavailable" despite your attempts to turn-off maintenance mode. When you put Moodle into maintenance mode it creates a file called maintenance.html in moodledata/maintenance.html (the site files folder). To fix this try the following:

  • Check that the web server user has write permissions to the moodledata folder.
  • Manually delete the maintenance.html file.

Incomplete page displayed when I click "Turn Editing On"

When you see an incomplete page, it is normally a sign that an error occurred. To find out more, turn on Debugging, and you should see an error message which may help you to diagnose the problem.

This is usually as a result of an incompatible contributed module or block that you have installed. Follow these steps:

  1. Follow the module removal instructions in Installing contributed modules or plugins.
  2. Re-visit your course page and try clicking on the "Turn Editing On" button again.

If you find an incompatible module or block, please report the problem to the person named as the maintainer in the Modules and Plugins database.

"a required parameter (id) was missing" when uploading a file

This message sometimes is generated when attempting to upload a file larger than the upload limit.

How can I change the URL of the moodle service

You should configure your Apache server, at httpd.conf, using Listen, Port and DocumentRoot directives and Directory section. After restarting Apache, you also must open config.php in a text editor, and change the line:

   $CFG->wwwroot   = 'http://mydomain/testmoodle';

Your Moodle site will also contain absolute links to resources which point to the previous URL. To change this see the migrating a complete Moodle site instructions.

See also: Forum discussion

How do I enable/disable debugging?

See Debugging. If you are getting a blank or partially complete page, it is probably a sign that an error is occurring. Turning on debugging will let you see what the error message is, which may help you diagnose the problem.

I cannot login to the Moodle CVS servers

When attempting to login to the Moodle CVS servers, you may receive a "login aborted" error as shown below (this example shows the eu cvs server, with the command in bold):

C:\gnuwin32>cvs -d:pserver:anonymous@eu.cvs.moodle.org:/cvsroot/moodle login
Logging in to :pserver:anonymous@eu.cvs.moodle.org:2401/cvsroot/moodle
CVS password: <- (blank password entered)
cvs [login aborted]: connect to uk.cvs.moodle.org(212.219.207.198):2401 failed:
Connection refused
C:\gnuwin32>

To fix this problem, check that you have entered the CVS command correctly and that port 2401 is open on your firewall.

Why is a page blank, or half missing?

A blank page, or a page that seems to have half missing, is normally a sign that an error occurred. If (as is recommended on production systems) you have display of error messages turned off, it can be very hard to understand what is going on.

The solution is to turn on the debugging options temporarily. Then, when you go back to the problem page, you should see the error message. Once you had finished solving the problem, remember to turn debugging off again.

How can I fix just one bug, without upgrading my whole site?

Suppose:

  • You are experiencing a particular bug.
  • You have searched in the tracker, and found that your problem is MDL-abc, and that it has been fixed in the latest version.
  • For some reason, you cannot upgrade your whole site, even though the latest version probably has security fixes.

Then, how can you get the fix for just this one bug, without upgrading your whole site? Well, if you are prepared to manually patch the code, you can probably get this information from the tracker. Please see this guide.

How can I change centre of the Front Page from course categories to something else?

Go to Front Page > Settings and change "Front page" to None all down. Change "Front page items when logged in" to None all down. Ensure that "Include a topic section" is checked. Save changes and return to the front page. Turn editing on, obviously, and you should now see the "Add a resource" and "Add an activity" drop down combo-boxes. Select "Add a resource" and select "Insert a label". You can then edit the label in any way you want to in the WYSYWYG editor.

How can I change the initial login screen?

Edit one of the language files. Settings > Site administration > Language> Language customisation, look in the moodle.php file. Look for loginusing or loginsteps or loginstepsnone string variables.

How can I change the initial login screen help?

To change or add a help message for the login go to Settings > Site administration > Plugins > Authentication > Manage authentication. Type your help message in there in the Instructions text box.

Users can not login, they need cookies and debug mentions config.php

Your site's config.php file probably has extra lines after ?>.

Solution is to delete the last ?>.

After using the 'Login as' function, why am I logged out of Moodle?

After using the 'Login as' function, for security reasons you are automatically logged out of Moodle when you return to your normal role. If you login again you will be redirected to the page that you were on previously.

See also