Frequently Asked Questions¶

• Table of contents
• Frequently Asked Questions
  • Installing and Running Redmine
    • Does Redmine work with Rails 2.1.x?
    • When I start the application, I get this error "in 'gem_original_require': no such file to load -- initializer (LoadError)"
    • When I start the application, I get this error message: "cannot connect to mysql: No such file or directory - /tmp/mysql.sock"
    • The application seems to work fine but some pages (eg. login form) have no content.
    • The application freeze after a long time of inactivity.
    • I upgraded Rails to 2.0, but Redmine doesn't work anymore!
    • Why does Redmine use http links when I want it to use https links in Apache? (SSL)
  • Issue tracking
    • I've created a new issue status but I can't use it, it doesn't show up in the status drop-down list.
    • I've created a new tracker but I can't use it, it doesn't show up in the trackers drop-down list.
    • How does "Related issues" work?
  • Time tracking
    • The time calculations in "Spent time Reports" are wrong.
  • Repositories
    • Commits don't show up in the activity until I click on 'Repository'
    • I can't browse my svn repository through redmine
    • Repository statistics doesn't show up
  • Performance
    • When I create a new issue, Redmine freeze during one minute.
  • Miscellaneous
    • All times are off by 1 hour after the daylight savings switched
    • What difference between Documents and Download?
    • I get a 404 when I try to view or diff a php file

Installing and Running Redmine¶

Does Redmine work with Rails 2.1.x?¶

Redmine devel r1623 and above is compatible with Rails 2.1.

But Redmine 0.7.x releases are not. Please freeze your rails to 2.0.2 version:

$ rake rails:freeze:edge TAG=rel_2-0-2

When I start the application, I get this error "in 'gem_original_require': no such file to load -- initializer (LoadError)"¶

Make sure Ruby on Rails is properly installed on your machine.

When I start the application, I get this error message: "cannot connect to mysql: No such file or directory - /tmp/mysql.sock"¶

You have to specify the socket location in config/database.yml.
See http://dev.rubyonrails.org/ticket/200.

The application seems to work fine but some pages (eg. login form) have no content.¶

You're running Rails 1.1.x but Redmine requires 1.2.6.
Upgrade Rails (if you're using gem package system, run the command gem update as root/administrator).

The application freeze after a long time of inactivity.¶

There's a bug in ruby/mysql adapter < 2.7.3 that leads to loose the database connection. Please update your adapter.
You can see thread at: http://rubyforge.org/forum/message.php?msg_id=25951.

I upgraded Rails to 2.0, but Redmine doesn't work anymore!¶

Redmine 0.6.3 is Rails 2.0 compatible, but prior versions are not.

The best solution is to upgrade Redmine to the latest version. But if you really want to use Redmine 0.6.0 on a box running Rails 2.0, please freeze your Rails version for Redmine (it won't affect your other Rails applications) by typing this command from your Redmine directory:

rake rails:freeze:edge TAG=rel_1-2-6

Don't forget to restart your server.

Why does Redmine use http links when I want it to use https links in Apache? (SSL)¶

This happens when Apache sending requests to a backend server, like mongrel or thin. Apache isn't telling the backend server to use https so the links are generated incorrectly. Add the following configuration to Apache:

RequestHeader set X_FORWARDED_PROTO 'https'

Issue tracking¶

I've created a new issue status but I can't use it, it doesn't show up in the status drop-down list.¶

Once you've created a new issue status, you need to include it in the workflow.

Say you have created a status named 'In progress' and you want the developers to be able to change bugs from 'New' to 'In progress'.
Go to "Administration -> Issue tracking -> Workflow", select 'Bug' and 'Developer' then click edit.
You now see all the transitions allowed for developers on bugs. Check the 'New' -> 'In progress' checkbox and save.

See Workflow setup.

I've created a new tracker but I can't use it, it doesn't show up in the trackers drop-down list.¶

Once you've created a new tracker, you need to "activate" it for a specific project.

Say you have created a tracker named 'Task' and you want the new tracker to be used for your project;

• go to "(Project-)Settings -> tab 'Information' -> fieldset 'Trackers'",
• check the checkbox of the new tracker 'Task',
• and then click save.

You can now start using the new tracker 'Task' in the project for which you've just activated the new tracker.

How does "Related issues" work?¶

Using Issue #100 as the one you set the relationship and Issue #101 as the "related to"

• Related - Just adds a link to the other issue
• Duplicates - Links issues so that closing one, will close the other (e.g. closing #100 will close #101)
• Blocks - Indicates that an issue need to be completed before working on the next.
• Precedes - Defines an "order", where issue #100 needs to be completed x days before #101 can be started on.

Time tracking¶

The time calculations in "Spent time Reports" are wrong.¶

You can enter spent-time values in Redmine using decimal time format. See Time_tracking.

• Example: you have 4 tasks with the following spent time values: 1.00, 0.10, 0.15, & 0.40. Now in the Spent-Time reports (Project overview -> Spent time -> [Details | Report]) you see a total of 1.65 hours instead of 2.05 hours...???

• Explanation: this "behaviour" is normal and intended since you enter those four spent-time values using decimal time format. This means that:
  • 1.00 decimal equals 60 minutes (1 hour)
  • 0.10 decimal equals 6 minutes
  • 0.15 decimal equals 9 minutes
  • 0.40 decimal equals 24 minutes
  • 1.65 decimal equals 99 minutes
  • 2.05 hours (125 minutes) equals 2.0833333333333335 (est.) in decimal notation

Offcourse there can possibly be a very tiny difference (as you can see) due to the rounding to two decimals done by Redmine.

Some references:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decimal_time
• http://www.springfrog.com/converter/decimal-time.htm

Repositories¶

Commits don't show up in the activity until I click on 'Repository'¶

By default, Redmine fetches the new commits from the repository only when you browse it.

If you want the commits to be retrieved periodically by Redmine in the background for all your repositories, uncheck 'Autofetch commits' setting and add a cron that runs (with appropriate environment):

ruby script/runner "Repository.fetch_changesets" -e production

I can't browse my svn repository through redmine¶

Check the following:

• Make sure you're using a svn client and server >= 1.3. Redmine parse the -xml output from subversion, which is a svn 1.3 feature.
• Make sure that the web app is able to run the svn binary

If you're accessing the repository over HTTPS:

The initial import of a subversion repository over https requires that the ssl certificate fingerprint be manually validated and stored in a config-dir accessible by the user running the web server. It is recommended that a directory local to the redmine application root be provided, either as a default (./svn/.subversion) or as a provided parameter in the repository settings for subversion.

The work around for the certificate acceptance issue is to manually checkout anything from the svn server specifying the local config-dir and accepting the certificate permanently.
Example:

$ svn --config-dir ./svn/.subversion co https://svn.mydomain.com/project/trunk delete-me

Error validating server certificate for 'https://svn.mydomain.com:443':
- The certificate is not issued by a trusted authority. Use the
fingerprint to validate the certificate manually!
- The certificate hostname does not match.
- The certificate has expired.
Certificate information:
- Hostname: svn.mydomain.com
- Valid: from Apr 8 12:00:00 2006 GMT until Sep 24 12:00:00 2010 GMT
- Issuer: mydomain.com, vrsource.org, Geneva, UN
- Fingerprint: 01:27:d9:6a:b8:db:63:f3:24:e3:41:c8:15:0a:f8:93:f6:7c:0f:11
(R)eject, accept (t)emporarily or accept (p)ermanently? p

Repository statistics doesn't show up¶

There's a bug in rexml 3.1.7 provided with ruby 1.8.6.
In ruby/1.8/rexml/document.rb (line 186), change: if transitive to if trans then restart the app.

See http://www.germane-software.com/projects/rexml/ticket/115 for details.

Performance¶

When I create a new issue, Redmine freeze during one minute.¶

You have to configure email notification, or desactivate it. Please turn off email notification feature if you don't use it. In config/environment.rb replace the line

config.action_mailer.perform_deliveries = true

to

config.action_mailer.perform_deliveries = false

and restart redmine.

Miscellaneous¶

All times are off by 1 hour after the daylight savings switched¶

Rails < 2.1 built-in time zone implementation doesn't handle DST. You have to install TZInfo.
To do so, run the following from your Redmine directory:

ruby script/plugin install tzinfo_timezone

Do not install this plugin if you're using Rails 2.1.

What difference between Documents and Download?¶

The "Documents" section is aimed to pusblish... documents as specification of the tracked project, or notice, or every documents that have not its place in a SCM.
The "Download" section is aimed to publish... versions of the tracked project, as a bundle.

I get a 404 when I try to view or diff a php file¶

It's because Apache is seeing .php and trying to run the php intreperter on the file. Since that url isn't a real file, it gets a 404 error.
The solution is to turn off mod_php for your Redmine virtual host. That will cause Apache to call Redmine to serve up the file.