I work with
Joomla 2.5.3
Multisites V1.2.81

I provide a phpinfo() if you want to check something: phpinfo.

I made a new Joomla 2.5 installation on my root server. Then I installed Multisites. When the installation was completed I want to "Check patches installation". When I install the patches I got some errors.

JFolder::create: Infinite loop detected
Unable to create destination
Error during installation of the file "administrator/defines.php"

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

Joomla Multi Sites version: 1.2.81 (Latest available: 1.2.81)
Patches definition version: 1.2.80 (Latest available: 1.2.80)

This is the complete output wit Joomla 2.5.3:



I made a second installation with Joomla 1.5.26 to test my server settings.
The patches installation with the same multisites version works fine. So what is the problem with Joomla 2.5? A compatibility issue?

This is the complete output wit Joomla 1.5.26:



It is no problem with the directory permissions, user- or usergroup rights. Both installations was made on the same server with the same hosting settings. On both installations all directories are writable and everything was highlighted in green on the pre-installation check.

The "infinite loop" detection present in Joomla consists in checking the number of directories that must be created in one shoot.
When it is higher than 10, they consider it as "infinite loop".

So I suppose that the location of the directory where your master is installed is in a directory that cause Joomla (I don't see why) to create more than 10 directories to install a patch or create a directory somewhere that result with more than 10 directories. (ie. create the directory dir1/dir2/dir3/dir4/dir5/......./dir10/dir11) cause such kind of error message.

I'm not shure what is the problem. But when I install Jommla not in the document root for my website and use a subfolder instead it works.

For example:

My first installation with joomla 2.5.3 was located like this:

physical location on my server
/var/www/vhosts/domain.net/httpdocs/
web url
domain.net

I got the errors as seen above

Now I tried this:

physical location on my server
/var/www/vhosts/domain.net/httpdocs/joomla
web url
domain.net/joomla

When I use the subfolder the patches installation works. But this is not a solution for me to use subfolder for my installation. Any advice?

Based on the path the you provided, it seems that you are using a Plesk environment.

Verify the ownership of the root directory.
I suspect that the root directory might have permission that does not allow creating subdirectories or access some files.

When you create your subdirectory, you provide other permission that are probably OK.

So verify the permission/ownership of your "httpdocs" directory.

If the ownership and the permission is incorrect, Because the installation is ok when doing in subfolder ???
I have got the same problem , see www.jms2win.com/en/forum/26-bugs-errors-...roblems-in-joomla-17 , and the problem is again here.

But when patch the subfolder installation , the site strangely , reads the configuration.php file of the document root of the domain.

What is the solution , the problem is present in installation and upgrade.


ownership NO
permission NO

I read the logs of my web-server

[Tue Apr 03 20:56:36 2012] [error] [client 87.7.150.80] PHP Warning: is_dir(): open_basedir restriction in effect. File(/var/www/vhosts/adsplans.test) is not within the allowed path(s): (/var/www/vhosts/adsplans.test/httpdocs:/tmp) in /var/www/vhosts/adsplans.test/httpdocs/libraries/joomla/filesystem/folder.php on line 447, referer: www.adsplans.test/administrator/index.ph...mp;task=checkpatches
[Tue Apr 03 20:56:36 2012] [error] [client 87.7.150.80] PHP Warning: is_dir(): open_basedir restriction in effect. File(/var/www/vhosts) is not within the allowed path(s): (/var/www/vhosts/adsplans.test/httpdocs:/tmp) in /var/www/vhosts/adsplans.test/httpdocs/libraries/joomla/filesystem/folder.php on line 447, referer: www.adsplans.test/administrator/index.ph...mp;task=checkpatches
[Tue Apr 03 20:56:36 2012] [error] [client 87.7.150.80] PHP Warning: is_dir(): open_basedir restriction in effect. File(/var/www) is not within the allowed path(s): (/var/www/vhosts/adsplans.test/httpdocs:/tmp) in /var/www/vhosts/adsplans.test/httpdocs/libraries/joomla/filesystem/folder.php on line 447, referer: www.adsplans.test/administrator/index.ph...mp;task=checkpatches
[Tue Apr 03 20:56:36 2012] [error] [client 87.7.150.80] PHP Warning: is_dir(): open_basedir restriction in effect. File(/var) is not within the allowed path(s): (/var/www/vhosts/adsplans.test/httpdocs:/tmp) in /var/www/vhosts/adsplans.test/httpdocs/libraries/joomla/filesystem/folder.php on line 447, referer: www.adsplans.test/administrator/index.ph...mp;task=checkpatches
[Tue Apr 03 20:56:36 2012] [error] [client 87.7.150.80] PHP Warning: is_dir(): open_basedir restriction in effect. File(/) is not within the allowed path(s): (/var/www/vhosts/adsplans.test/httpdocs:/tmp) in /var/www/vhosts/adsplans.test/httpdocs/libraries/joomla/filesystem/folder.php on line 447, referer: www.adsplans.test/administrator/index.ph...mp;task=checkpatches
[Tue Apr 03 20:56:36 2012] [error] [client 87.7.150.80] PHP Warning: is_dir(): open_basedir restriction in effect. File(/) is not within the allowed path(s): (/var/www/vhosts/adsplans.test/httpdocs:/tmp) in /var/www/vhosts/adsplans.test/httpdocs/libraries/joomla/filesystem/folder.php on line 447, referer: www.adsplans.test/administrator/index.ph...mp;task=checkpatches



******7 Months, 1 Week ago*******
I copied all site and database into my local Virtual Machine Linux Centos with:

same version of PHP and MYSQL.


same folder structure.



Patches application is OK , one difference is this message
Joomla Multi Sites version: 1.2.62 (Latest available: 1.2.61)
Patches definition version: 1.2.66 (Latest available: 1.2.65)

in local VM is
Joomla Multi Sites version: 1.2.62
Patches definition version: 1.2.66

After upload from local VM to Host-VM and all is OK.

This resolution of problem is tampon and not definitive.

I wait the definitive resolution.

I think that the problem is not on HOST-VM because
the creation and copy of folder and file with installations of components is OK.
Only application of Multi Sites Patches faulted.


By to next upgrade

thanks for your help

Seams that we described the same problem here...
www.jms2win.com/en/forum/26-bugs-errors-...omla-254-not-working

I hope someone from the Support team can help.
Or we have to give our licens back.

Permissions and ownership of directories are ok.
Pathdepth is also ok.
we are using also Plesk

Thanks for help