on Pantheon: php error: session_start(): Failed to initialize storage module [#2177647]

On Pantheon, developing a site running the latest CiviCRM Starterkit.

Using only point-and-click options, have built a Contribution page with Paypal as the payment processor.
Completing a payment, the transaction goes through to Paypal which processes the payment, but no completion notice is returned back to Civi, nor is the Activity registered in Civi.

Attempted to do the same thing using the contribution widget, with the same result.

In the Pantheon control panel, it shows this error:

Php error: session_start(): Failed to initialize storage module: user (path: )
Location: profiles/civicrm_starterkit/modules/civicrm/extern/ipn.php:34

The instances of this error keep incrementing, more than the number of attempts.

So, records of contributions are lost until this is corrected. We won't be able to progress in completing the site and going live until this is working. All recommendations welcome!

Comment	File	Size	Author
#2	2177647-sessions-fix.patch	1.52 KB	kreynen

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Comments

Comment #1

kreynen CreditAttribution: kreynen commented 20 January 2014 at 21:10

Status:

Active

» Needs work

This is the same issue as #1978796: Pantheon Requires session.save_handler set to files. Because of the way Pantheon works, it requires sessions be saved as a file that can be used by any "server" processing the PHP. This is an easy fix. Just add ini_set('session.save_handler', 'files'); before session_start(); so it looks like...

ini_set('session.save_handler', 'files'); 
session_start();

Moving to 'needs work' until someone has a chance to check all instances of session_start();

Comment #2

kreynen CreditAttribution: kreynen commented 7 February 2014 at 14:44

Status:

Needs work

» Needs review

File	Size
2177647-sessions-fix.patch	1.52 KB

This patch fixes the Pantheon session is in all the scripts in the extern directory

Comment #3

Diane Bryan CreditAttribution: Diane Bryan commented 20 March 2014 at 23:07

Did this get integrated into the starterkit yet? I think we've had an update since you did this, Kevin. We're really struggling with Webform / civi / civicontribute / Paypal

Comment #4

sonicthoughts CreditAttribution: sonicthoughts commented 1 October 2014 at 14:58

FYI - this is a cross post on a related issue:
I know there is a civicrm distro for pantheon but trying to install on an existing site i get the following error:
Warning: session_start(): user session functions not defined in /srv/bindings/df564905506047d9be9bdd2fd2547036/code/sites/all/modules/civicrm/install/index.php on line 33 Fatal error: session_start(): Failed to initialize storage module: user (path: ) in /srv/bindings/df564905506047d9be9bdd2fd2547036/code/sites/all/modules/civicrm/install/index.php on line 33

Tried both 4.4.7 and 4.5

Pantheon sent a response:
Hi there,

The install profiles for custom distributions aren't 100% reliable.

I tested and also ran into an error.

Unfortunately, we are not able to provide support for broke distributions. We support and maintain the platform, freeing you up to focus on the site. We have documented this in our helpdesk article, Pantheon 101:

http://helpdesk.getpantheon.com/customer/portal/articles/717236-pantheon...

For issues with distributions, we recommend contacting the distribution maintainer directly and filing a report:

https://issues.civicrm.org/jira/secure/Dashboard.jspa
Let me know if you have any further questions.

Thanks,
Ricky

Comment #5

kreynen CreditAttribution: kreynen commented 1 October 2014 at 15:42

@sonicthoughts you are running civicrm in sites/all so this is not an issue with the distribution, but changes you have made. This queue is for the distribution where civicrm is found in profile/civicrm_starterkit/modules.