CiviCRM browser install fails

Technology Infrastructure and Services
1

Hi all, not sure if this is the place for this technical question…

I’m trying to install CiviCRM standalone 6.6.1 via the browser, and I’ve experienced the same error over two attempts:

  1. Create a new MySQL database and user
  2. Load the browser install page
  3. Enter the database config details
  4. Refresh and verify all requirements met
  5. Enable all CiviCRM components
  6. Submit form
  7. After about 10 seconds, the page reloads with a 500 error

In my server logs are numerous PHP error messages. The most common two (scrubbed) are:

[Mon Sep 08 19:19:04.069196 2025] [proxy_fcgi:error] ... AH01071: Got error 'PHP message: PHP Fatal error:  Uncaught Error: Class "Civi\\Standalone\\SessionHandler" not found in /.../web/core/CRM/Utils/System/Standalone.php:653\nStack trace:\n#0 /.../web/core/CRM/Core/Session.php(136): CRM_Utils_System_Standalone->sessionStart()\n#1 /.../web/core/CRM/Utils/System/Standalone.php(712): CRM_Core_Session->initialize()\n#2 /.../web/core/CRM/Core/Config.php(93): CRM_Utils_System_Standalone->postContainerBoot()\n#3 /.../web/core/setup/plugins/installDatabase/BootstrapCivi.civi-setup.php(27): CRM_Core_Config::singleton()\n#4 /.../web/core/vendor/symfony/event-dispatcher/EventDispatcher.php(230): Civi\\Setup::{closure}()\n#5 /.../web/core/vendor/symfony/event-dispatcher/EventDispatcher.php(59): Symfony\\Component\\EventDispatcher\\EventDispatcher->callListeners()\n#6 /.../web/core/Civi/Core/CiviEventDispatc...',


[Mon Sep 08 19:19:12.125267 2025] [proxy_fcgi:error] ... AH01071: Got error 'PHP message: PHP Fatal error:  Uncaught Error: Class "Civi\\Standalone\\SessionHandler" not found in /.../web/core/CRM/Utils/System/Standalone.php:653\nStack trace:\n#0 /.../web/core/CRM/Core/Session.php(136): CRM_Utils_System_Standalone->sessionStart()\n#1 /.../web/core/CRM/Utils/System/Standalone.php(712): CRM_Core_Session->initialize()\n#2 /.../web/core/CRM/Core/Config.php(93): CRM_Utils_System_Standalone->postContainerBoot()\n#3 /.../web/core/Civi/Standalone/WebEntrypoint.php(65): CRM_Core_Config::singleton()\n#4 /.../web/core/Civi/Standalone/WebEntrypoint.php(20): Civi\\Standalone\\WebEntrypoint::invoke()\n#5 /.../web/index.php(35): Civi\\Standalone\\WebEntrypoint::index()\n#6 {main}\n  thrown in /.../web/core/CRM/Utils/System/Standalone.php on line 653'

Any tips for troubleshooting? Is it possible to install the cv CLI and install via command line?

2

Yes - happy to help with this and glad you reported it. I might need a few days since I’m at a conference this week - but if you have a deadline please let me know.

And, can you email me the full un-redacted logs or the domain name of the site so I can look it up? I think you have my address. I suspect it is getting confused with our symlinked home directories - the official home directory is /home/sites/ - but this is a symlink to /media/dataNNNN/sites/.

I’ll have to experiment to be sure. I’m committed to ensuring Civi stand alone can be installed so we will get this to work one way or another even if I have to submit a patch upstream :slight_smile:

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3

I seem to have been able to install with the help of the cv command line tool:

1. Install cv

$ cd ~/bin
$ composer require civicrm/cli-tools
$ cv --version
> cv 0.3.65

2. Attempt install from browser

$ cd ~/web
$ curl -O https://storage.googleapis.com/civicrm/civicrm-stable/6.6.1/civicrm-6.6.1-standalone.tar.gz
$ tar -xvzf civicrm-6.6.1-standalone.tar.gz
$ mv civicrm-standalone/* .
# make sure .htaccess was copied to the web root
# load URL in browser, enter DB info and submit form
# 404 error

3. Complete install with cv

Note: I found the advice to use the first command below from a recent post on the CiviCRM stack exchange, with the same issue on the same version.

$ cv en standaloneusers
> Enabling extension "standaloneusers"
$ cv core:install --url=... --lang="en_US" --db="mysql://user:pass@127.0.0.1:3306/db" -m extras.adminUser=... -m extras.adminPass=... -m extras.adminEmail=... -vv
> The civicrm.settings.php already exists. What you like to do? [a] Abort [k] Keep [o] Overwrite
$ k
> The database tables already exists. What you like to do? [a] Abort [k] Keep [o] Overwrite
$ o

4. Log in!

…and after all of this, when I navigated to the URL it correctly loaded the login form, but the passwords I entered didn’t seem to work…

  1. Navigate to the password reset form, enter email address and submit form
  2. Receive a password reset email (the email sent from info@EXAMPLE.ORG with the subject line “Password reset link for Default Domain Name” and went to my RoundCube webmail spam folder).
  3. Reset the password from the emailed link
  4. Log in and view the Organization Setup steps, etc…
4

Hi @orenrobinson - Thanks again for posting. I spent some time on it today and discovered it is a CiviCRM bug (nothing to do with May First after all). Nonetheless I just submitted a patch upstream: ensure standalone web does not fail due to missing session class by jmcclelland · Pull Request #33590 · civicrm/civicrm-core · GitHub

I’m glad you posted a work around in case anyone else encounters it before the next release (which will hopefully fix it).

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