# Mediawiki default skins not loading

## peterab85

Hi All

I recently upgraded all of my packages on my Gentoo server using: emerge --update --deep --with-bdeps=y world

This resulted in over 100 packages being updated, however I am not fully sure what was updated, I had not done an update since Jan this year. When I now use my Mediawiki all the formatting and backgrounds are no longer loading, the pages now look like an old webpage. I believe that the Mediawiki skins are not loading, however I am not sure why. I have looked at the following guide "http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:Errors_and_symptoms" especially "The wiki appears without styles applied and images are missing" section and it appears to be behaving as it should be. I have even re-ran "mw-config" and created a new Localsettings.php, its interesting to note that when running "mw-config" the pages are formatted correctly, however it isn't when I run my wiki. Has anyone had this problem or have any ideas on how I can fix it? Happy to provide further information if need. 

Thanks in advance.

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## LEBEGUE Sebastien

Hi All,

I have the same problem.

For me, this issue is due at the version of PHP upgraded to v5.4.17. I decided to re-install php v5.3.27.

This modification allow of resolve this issue.

I don't understand why the others users haven't this problem and why if MediaWiki doesn't work with php v5.4 is updated in portage without patch.

The style CSS isn't loading via 'load.php'. (See inspect code with Chrome)

Best regard

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## 666threesixes666

mkultra@mksrv [ ~ ]$ php --version

PHP 5.4.17-pl0-gentoo (cli) (built: Aug 10 2013 19:19:46) 

i guess ill test for this problem.

ill confirm this on my end...  mediawiki flower icons missing....  further investigation shows its tried to load from "background-image: url("/wiki/skins/common/images/wiki.png");"

as root made my mediawiki flower come back....

```

ln -s /var/www/localhost/htdocs/mediawiki/ /var/www/localhost/htdocs/wiki

```

this should also fix your skinning.  something got changed somewhere.  id bug report it.

what are your skin previews doing @ http://127.0.0.1/mediawiki/index.php/Special:Preferences#mw-prefsection-rendering

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## LEBEGUE Sebastien

Hi All,

My problem is always present but clairly identified.

This error is not due at the version of PHP but caused by the module of 'Subversion' integrated in Apache.

When the module is activated in '/etc/conf.d/apache2' with '-D SVN', the skin of mediawiki isn't loading.

The version '1.7.11' is the only version available under portage. 

I'll try to install manually the last version.

Best regards

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## 666threesixes666

i dont have -D SVN because im a master of git, and i have the same problem.

edit to note that the severity of my problem is much less than the posters.Last edited by 666threesixes666 on Thu Aug 29, 2013 9:58 pm; edited 1 time in total

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## LEBEGUE Sebastien

Try to isolate your problem.

Loading the minimum of modules via '/etc/conf.d/apache2'.

Checked your error with 'Chrome' via 'Inspect Element'. Normaly, it shall indicate that 'Failed to load ressource' on 'http://xxx/mediawiki/load.php?debug=false&lang=fr&modules=mediawiki.legacy.commonPrint%2Cshared%7Cskins.vector&only=styles&skin=vector&*'

Post your 'LocalSettings.php' and your 'https.conf' (or 'vhost' config).

Check that you do not have rules of rewriting URLs.

Best regards

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## D-Code

 *LEBEGUE Sebastien wrote:*   

> Hi All,
> 
> My problem is always present but clairly identified.
> 
> This error is not due at the version of PHP but caused by the module of 'Subversion' integrated in Apache.
> ...

 

Thank you for this. Have the same problem, and that suggestion helped.

I can verify that by removing the -D SVN parameter from /etc/conf.d/apache2, the skin of MediaWiki will load without errors.

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## pentium4borg

I'm having this exact same problem, and I can't figure out why.

I'm on MediaWiki 1.21.2, although I was having this problem on MW 1.20.2 before upgrading. This also occurs both with PHP 5.4 and PHP 5.5, I don't think it's related to the PHP version.

I did however recently upgrade Subversion, and disabling the SVN environment variable in /etc/conf.d/apache2 makes my MediaWiki skins work again. I'd rather not turn off my Subversion repository though, but I have no idea why the mediawiki skins only work if Subversion is disabled. They're in totally different URI namespaces on my server.

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## luispa

I've hit this problem too, found this link where they describe literally "like a mystic bug or probably gentoo bug caused by some awkward constellation of lib versions".

I was seeing exactly the same apache crashes (/var/log/apache2/error_log), although slow, the pages were coming (without skin/css), so I've done what is documented (also @pentium4borg mentioned). 

In order to fix it: I've removed "-D SVN" from my /etc/conf.d/apache, restarted apache and now mediawiki is working perfect with its skins/css's and no apache crashes. As a long term solution maybe I should try the option of recompiling the whole system.... 

Luis

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