I'm quite frustrated and hope you can help me. I have been trying for days to get this working, but it just isn't. I can't get past the patch install phase of set-up, much less any *actual* set up... I have checked every file & folder permission manually and I am at my wits end. Below, you will find my results page from the Patch Install, nothing changes. Please assist. Thanks in advance.
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Joomla Multi Sites version: 1.2.49 (Latest available: 1.2.50) Get Latest Version
Patches definition version: 1.2.55 (Latest available: 1.2.56)
Files Status


administrator/components/com_multisites/install.xml
OK
administrator/index.php
Not OK

* Use the slave site deployed directory as administrator directory when present. Otherwise use the master website directory

Actions:

* Replace 2 lines by 28 lines in aim to use the slave site deploy directory instead of the master directory
* This allow for example to manage the specific media or image directory from the back-end

administrator/includes/defines.php
Not OK

* Multisites definition not present
* Configuration redefinition not possible
* Installation redefinition not possible

Actions:

* Add 1 line
* Update 2 lines

includes/defines.php
Not OK

* Multisites definition not present
* Configuration redefinition not possible
* Installation redefinition not possible

Actions:

* Add 1 line
* Update 2 lines

includes/defines_multisites.php
Not OK

* File Not Found

Actions:

* Add the file

includes/multisites.php
Not OK

* File Not Found

Actions:

* Add the file

installation
Not OK

* Different File/directory owner and group and WORLD has no write permission.
Please check file/directory permission before applying the patches.Directory Not Found

Actions:

* Rename / Restore the directory

Renamed 'installation' dir: Tooltip
installation/includes/defines.php
Not OK

* File Not Found

installation/installer/helper.php
Not OK

* File Not Found

installation/installer/jajax.php
Not OK

* File Not Found

Actions:

* Add the file

xmlrpc/includes/defines.php
Not OK

* Different File/directory owner and group and WORLD has no write permission.
Please check file/directory permission before applying the patches.
* Multisites definition not present
* Configuration redefinition not possible
* Installation redefinition not possible

Actions:

* Add 1 line
* Update 2 lines

configuration.php
Not OK

* The routing wrapper is not present in this MASTER configuration file.

Actions:

* Add 16 lines containing the routing wrapper to the slave site.

administrator/components/com_config/controllers/application.php
Not OK

* Different File/directory owner and group and WORLD has no write permission.
Please check file/directory permission before applying the patches.
* The wrapper for the Master configuration is not present in Joomla administration

Actions:

* Add 28 lines containing the wrapper to insert into the master configuration.php file
* Update 1 line to save the appropriate configuration content

administrator/components/com_installer/models/templates.php
Not OK

* Different File/directory owner and group and WORLD has no write permission.
Please check file/directory permission before applying the patches.
* The install "template" does not contain the patch that allow the installion of a template into a specific folder

Actions:

* Add 35 lines to provide another "basedir" folder when a specific "themes" folder is specified

administrator/components/com_modules/models/module.php
Not OK

* Different File/directory owner and group and WORLD has no write permission.
Please check file/directory permission before applying the patches.
* The usage of specific themes folder is not present in the module management

Actions:

* Add 17 lines to allow using a specific template directory when specified for a slave site

administrator/components/com_templates/admin.templates.html.php
Not OK

* Different File/directory owner and group and WORLD has no write permission.
Please check file/directory permission before applying the patches.
* The slave site specific "params_[id].ini" file permission checking is not present

Actions:

* Replace the line that define the "params.ini" file name into 10 lines that use the site identifier "params_[id].ini" for the slave site

administrator/components/com_templates/controller.php
Not OK

* Different File/directory owner and group and WORLD has no write permission.
Please check file/directory permission before applying the patches.
* The customisation of "params.ini" file for the slave sites is not present into the template controller

Actions:

* Replace the statement that READ the "params.ini" file name by 10 lines that allow reading a specific slave site "params_[id].ini" file
* Replace the statement that WRITE the "params.ini" file name by 13 lines that allow writing a specific slave site "params_[id].ini" file
* Add 18 lines 11 times to allow using a specific template "basedir" directory when a specific template (themes) folder is specified

libraries/joomla/application/application.php
Not OK

* Different File/directory owner and group and WORLD has no write permission.
Please check file/directory permission before applying the patches.
* The single sign-in patch for sub-domain is not present

Actions:

* Replace 2 lines by 2x15 lines to accept that sub-domain share the same session information for a single sign-in
* Replace 4 lines by 35 lines to add the single sign-in rescue session restore when the server does not restore the session data on sub-domain.

libraries/joomla/document/html/html.php
Not OK

* Different File/directory owner and group and WORLD has no write permission.
Please check file/directory permission before applying the patches.
* The slave site specific "params_[id].ini" file reading is not present

Actions:

* Replace 3 lines by to allow using a specific "params_[id].ini" when rendering concern a slave site

libraries/joomla/filesystem/folder.php
OK
libraries/joomla/session/session.php
Not OK

* Different File/directory owner and group and WORLD has no write permission.
Please check file/directory permission before applying the patches.
* The single sign-in patch for sub-domain is not present

Actions:

* Add 12 lines and replace 1 line by 15 lines to accept that sub-domain share the same session information for a single sign-in

components/com_content/helpers/route.php
Not OK

* Different File/directory owner and group and WORLD has no write permission.
Please check file/directory permission before applying the patches.
* The wrapper for the Articles Sharing is not present

Actions:

* Add 4 lines containing the wrapper to redefinition of the route when Article Sharing is presnet

plugins/system/remember.php
Not OK

* Different File/directory owner and group and WORLD has no write permission.
Please check file/directory permission before applying the patches.
* The single sign-in patch for sub-domain is not present

Actions:

* Replace 1 line by 15 lines to accept that sub-domain share the same session information for a single sign-in

administrator/components/com_jce/installer/installer.php
Not OK

* The "force overwrite" code is not present in JCE Installer.

Actions:

* Add 3 lines to allow Slave sites overwrite installations (Called from JCE -> Install)

administrator/components/com_virtuemart/classes/ps_checkout.php
Not OK

* The code to allow using the Joomla Multi Sites bridge with VirtueMart is not present.

Actions:

* Add 5 lines containing the call to a MultiSites / VirtueMart plugin onAfterOrderCreate.

administrator/components/com_virtuemart/classes/ps_config.php
Not OK

* The VirtueMart configuration file wrapper is not present.

Actions:

* replace 2 lines by 17 lines to write the configuration file into a slave specific file and to compute the master site wrapper code.
* Add 4 lines to insert the wrapper into the master virtuemart configuration file.

administrator/components/com_virtuemart/classes/ps_order.php
Not OK

* The code to call the Plugin VirtueMart onOrderStatusUpdate is not present.

Actions:

* Add 3 lines containing the call to a VirtueMart plugin onOrderStatusUpdate.

administrator/components/com_virtuemart/virtuemart.cfg.php
Not OK

* The routing wrapper is not present in the VirtueMart MASTER configuration file.

Actions:

* Add 5 lines containing the routing wrapper to the slave site.

plugins/system/CssJsCompress/css.php
Not OK

* The specific root path for each websites is not present.

Actions:

* Replace 3 lines by 30 lines to compute a specific root path for each slave site.

plugins/system/CssJsCompress/js.php
Not OK

* The specific root path for each websites is not present.

Actions:

* Replace 3 lines by 30 lines to compute a specific root path for each slave site.

Notes:
Some files needs to be patched.
Press the 'install' button to update your system.

Give the list of all the extension that can not be patched is not helpfull.

You probably received an error message that tell you that you are not able to write something of perform a copy of something error.

This is the symptom that you have a problem of permission on the files and folders.
Check also when you are using the FTP layer that the login correspond to the same owner of the files and folders.

In general the problem appears when the ownership of the file is not correct.
For example you have the owner of a FTP user and after this is apache that try modifying the files of the FTP user for which it does not have the permission.

So check the permission.

Ok thank you, this is the complete error listing on the install pane:

* Unable to write entry
* Error during installation of the file "administrator/includes/defines.php"
* Copy failed
* Copy failed
* Copy failed
* Copy failed
* Copy failed
* Copy failed
* Copy failed
* Copy failed
* Copy failed
* Copy failed
* Copy failed
* Copy failed
* Copy failed
* Copy failed

Message

* One or more backup file is missing. The original file(s) can not be restored.

Joomla Multi Sites version: 1.2.50 (Latest available: 1.2.52) Get Latest Version
Patches definition version: 1.2.56 (Latest available: 1.2.57)

Please note that I have changed all permissions to 777

This is for sure a problem of permission.
Perhaps you could try using the Joomla FTP layer to provide more permission to copy and install the files.
See the Global Configuration and setup the FTP layer.

You probably have a problem of ownership on the files and folders that does not allow you updating them.
So verify the files and folder ownership as well as the chmod.

I was having the same problems as described. This is definitely a server permissions problem. I had a shared cpanel based configuration. I set all the folders to 775, but I kept getting a 500 error. If this occurs, your hosting provider has restricted the server to not allow for 775 or 777 configurations due to security issues. Typically you will have to be on a VPS or dedicated server because most shared hosting companies are moving towards restricting the permissions of root folders.

I hope this info helps everyone experiencing this issues as it set me back significantly until I figured out what was going on.

-Justin

I have a VPS, but it still doesn't work..
How can i change the permissions using cpanel or other programs?