New upgrade - missing icons/images - Preview button dead

  • Thread starter Thread starter Tom.G
  • Start date Start date
Click For Summary
The discussion centers on a recent upgrade that has caused missing icons and non-functional preview buttons in the forum's reply and new thread boxes. Users report that only the Sigma image appears, with other formatting options showing as placeholders. Clearing the browser cache and trying different user accounts revealed that the issue is likely local, as some users can see the icons without problems. A potential cause identified is a disruption in the CDN hosting the CSS files, which may have affected icon visibility. Ultimately, the icons returned for some users after troubleshooting, but the problem persists intermittently for others.
Tom.G
Science Advisor
Gold Member
Messages
5,661
Reaction score
4,506
The Reply box (the one I'm typing in right now for instance) shows only the Sigma image, all other links, Bold, Italic, etc. show only as placeholders.

Also the Preview buttons on this particular forum do nothing.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
I'm assuming the one you mentioned to be implemented within the last week or so.
(Of course it's always possible there is a problem on this end.)
 
Tom.G said:
I'm assuming the one you mentioned to be implemented within the last week or so.
(Of course it's always possible there is a problem on this end.)
There was a very minor upgrade but that was a couple weeks ago. There haven't been any other reports. Try to clear your cache first.
 
Cleared cache on two installations of browser. Also restarted computer and cleared cache again. No change.
Icons missing at text box for both Reply and New Thread. Preview button works for Reply but not for New Thread.

EDIT: Icons also missing for Edit, Report, Like, Reply in all threads.

Any other suggestions?
 
Tom.G said:
Cleared cache on two installations of browser. Also restarted computer and cleared cache again. No change.
Icons missing at text box for both Reply and New Thread. Preview button works for Reply but not for New Thread.

EDIT: Icons also missing for Edit, Report, Like, Reply in all threads.

Any other suggestions?
Things look okay for me. Firefox 37. (I know. It's an old version but there's no problems with it)
 
Can you try it on a different computer?
As most users see the icons it looks like it is computer/network specific.
 
Oops. Just tried another user account on the same machine and the icons appear there. Didn't try the Preview buttons. So yup, it's local. Time for some debugging.:oops:

Thanks all for your patience!
 
  • Like
Likes dlgoff
Tom.G said:
The Reply box (the one I'm typing in right now for instance) shows only the Sigma image, all other links, Bold, Italic, etc. show only as placeholders.
Lol... just now happened to me, also.

Missing Icons.JPG


Working again now, though...
 

Attachments

  • Missing Icons.JPG
    Missing Icons.JPG
    27.5 KB · Views: 468
  • #10
All the icons are actually CSS code which come from a single file. Yesterday we paid an invoice for the CDN where the file is hosted, so perhaps there was a slightly chance of disruption between the time the bandwidth ran out and when the invoice was paid. Pretty sure it must be a cache issue with the browser.
 
  • Like
Likes mfb
  • #11
Tom.G said:
Oops. Just tried another user account on the same machine and the icons appear there. Didn't try the Preview buttons. So yup, it's local. Time for some debugging.:oops:

Thanks all for your patience!
One time the buttons disappeared for me in a similar way, and it turned out I had zoomed in a bit in my Browser on a previous window to see something better. If the Browser window is not big enough (zoomed out enough) to fit the buttons, placeholders are used for some of them. Try going to full-screen on your Browser window and zooming out some. Do the buttons appear at some point?
 
  • Like
Likes dlgoff
  • #12
Greg Bernhardt said:
All the icons are actually CSS code which come from a single file. Yesterday we paid an invoice for the CDN where the file is hosted, so perhaps there was a slightly chance of disruption between the time the bandwidth ran out and when the invoice was paid. Pretty sure it must be a cache issue with the browser.
What is the URL where the CSS is stored? I've got a LONG list of blocked sites and the URL could have been added to it. PM me if you don't want it public. Email won't work, your site says my current email domain is blocked and will not accept it when entered. (Is that another issue? it's been many months. Seems strange that your pgm won't send to a particular domain.)

EDIT: @berkeman , tried the full screen & zooming to no effect.
 
  • #13
Tom.G said:
What is the URL where the CSS is stored?

It's public.
Code: 
https://physicsforums-bernhardtmediall.netdna-ssl.com

Tom.G said:
Email won't work, your site says my current email domain is blocked and will not accept it when entered.

We do block several dozen known "throw away" email services.
 
  • #14
Greg Bernhardt said:
All the icons are actually CSS code which come from a single file. Yesterday we paid an invoice for the CDN where the file is hosted, so perhaps there was a slightly chance of disruption between the time the bandwidth ran out and when the invoice was paid.
That makes sense.
Tom.G said:
What is the URL where the CSS is stored? I've got a LONG list of blocked sites and the URL could have been added to it. PM me if you don't want it public.
Your browser has to find and use it, it has to be public - both its address and its content. In fact, the forum transmits the address every time you access the forum in case your browser didn't store the css file locally.

https://www.physicsforums.com/css.php?css=xenforo,form,public&style=10&dir=LTR&d=1509593298
https://www.physicsforums.com/css.php?css=attachment_editor,bb_code,cta_featuredthreads,discussion_list,inline_mod,likes_summary,message,message_user_info,moderator_bar,pf_blogrss_items,pf_solved,quick_reply,similar_threads,thread_view,xb,xb_message,xb_offcanvas_menu,xb_quicksearch_nav,xengallery_tab_links&style=10&dir=LTR&d=1509593298 - here the buttons are defined.

As css interpretation happens on your local computer, you can also tell your browser to change it if you like.
This is an actual screenshot after I changed it in my browser (just for the picture), note the different symbol and the question mark:

edit.png
 

Attachments

  • edit.png
    edit.png
    1.7 KB · Views: 397
  • #15
mfb said:
That makes sense.
Now that I think of it, we use Font Awesome, which is not hosted by our CDN but rather their public one at
Code: 
https://maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com
 
  • #16
OK, the CSS is not blocked. I notice it requires JavaScript, what is the earliest version it needs. This machine has versions dating from Aug. 2000 to Jul. 2015.

My current email (gmx.com) was chosen based on features when my previous supplier went behind a paywall, large files are important, and to some extent so is zero cost. It's what I use for World-facing interaction; i.e. purchasing, etc, etc.

edit: (our entries crossed in the ether)
 
  • #17
Tom.G said:
OK, the CSS is not blocked. I notice it requires JavaScript, what is the earliest version it needs. This machine has versions dating from Aug. 2000 to Jul. 2015.
CSS does not require javascript. Javascript can manipulate CSS, but they are two distinct technologies.
 
  • #18
Greg Bernhardt said:
CSS does not require javascript. Javascript can manipulate CSS, but they are two distinct technologies.
OK. I saw reference to .js in the file and assumed it was needed.

Greg Bernhardt said:
Code (Text): https://maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com
We are closing in, maybe. That site yields an error message of "Untrusted Connection". The detail is:
maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com uses an invalid security certificate.

The certificate is not trusted because the issuer certificate is not trusted.

(Error code: sec_error_untrusted_issuer)
 
  • #19
Tom.G said:
OK. I saw reference to .js in the file and assumed it was needed.

In what file?

Tom.G said:
We are closing in, maybe.

That is just the base domain. I don't think it's meant to be accessed outside of a specific file that resides within it.
 
  • #20
Greg Bernhardt said:
In what file?
Now this is getting strange! I did a copy & paste of https://physicsforums-bernhardtmediall.netdna-ssl.com to the address bar and got a large text file, obviously machine generated with very long lines and little formatting. The first few (20?) lines referenced some .js files (could have been in comments). Deep down in the file there were references indicating it was probably open source. When I tried to access that file again I got the PF home page.
Greg Bernhardt said:
That is just the base domain. I don't think it's meant to be accesses outside of a specific file.
Could you expand on that comment? When I ignore the Untrusted warning, a pop-up tells me:
You have chosen to open:
<blank line here>
which is a: Adobe Acrobat 7.0 Document (0 bytes)
from: https://maxcdnbootstrapcdn.com

When I tell it to save the file, the FileName is: iPierTq7.pdf.part
and it really is of zero length.

(This is beginning to feel like"Through The Looking Glass")
 
  • #22
mfb said:
https://www.physicsforums.com/css.php?css=attachment_editor,bb_code,cta_featuredthreads,discussion_list,inline_mod,likes_summary,message,message_user_info,moderator_bar,pf_blogrss_items,pf_solved,quick_reply,similar_threads,thread_view,xb,xb_message,xb_offcanvas_menu,xb_quicksearch_nav,xengallery_tab_links&style=10&dir=LTR&d=1509593298 - here the buttons are defined.
I accessed this text file but do not understand what it does or how.
But the icons are back! :smile: Don't know how or why, but Thanks All.
 
  • Like
Likes Greg Bernhardt
  • #24
Tom.G said:
I did a copy & paste of https://physicsforums-bernhardtmediall.netdna-ssl.com to the address bar and got a large text file, obviously machine generated with very long lines and little formatting.
It wasn't meant to be accessed by itself. I just provided the root domain for your to check against your block list.
 
  • Like
Likes Tom.G
  • #25
Just an FYI, Icons are gone again.
 
  • #26
mfb said:
https://www.physicsforums.com/css.php?css=xenforo,form,public&style=10&dir=LTR&d=1509593298
https://www.physicsforums.com/css.php?css=attachment_editor,bb_code,cta_featuredthreads,discussion_list,inline_mod,likes_summary,message,message_user_info,moderator_bar,pf_blogrss_items,pf_solved,quick_reply,similar_threads,thread_view,xb,xb_message,xb_offcanvas_menu,xb_quicksearch_nav,xengallery_tab_links&style=10&dir=LTR&d=1509593298 - here the buttons are defined.
What happens if you try to open these files (especially the second one), and does it work again afterwards?
 
  • #27
No joy. Tried opening both files, both individually and jointly, with and without clearing cache, and with and without restarting browser. Still no icons.
 
  • #28
Tom.G said:
ried opening both files
Did you see the content?
Do you see the white bar at the bottom of posts where the elements are supposed to be?
Which browser do you use?
 
  • #30
mfb said:
Did you see the content?
https://www.physicsforums.com/css.php?css=xenforo,form,public&style=10&dir=LTR&d=1509593298
https://www.physicsforums.com/css.php?css=attachment_editor,bb_code,cta_featuredthreads,discussion_list,inline_mod,likes_summary,message,message_user_info,moderator_bar,pf_blogrss_items,pf_solved,quick_reply,similar_threads,thread_view,xb,xb_message,xb_offcanvas_menu,xb_quicksearch_nav,xengallery_tab_links&style=10&dir=LTR&d=1509593298 -
Yes, as text.
mfb said:
Do you see the white bar at the bottom of posts where the elements are supposed to be?
Yes I see the bar but the icons don't show, just placeholders and the associated text. Also, the icons in the blue-gray bar at the top of the "Have something to add?" box don't exist, just placeholders (but the Sigma is there.)
mfb said:
Which browser do you use?
Firefox 18.0.2. Yea, I know, it's old. To upgrade, must replace OS; then there is $X,XXX's of applications to be upgraded. Stuck!
Greg Bernhardt said:
Can you access this file?
https://maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com/font-awesome/4.5.0/css/font-awesome.min.css
Yes, after bypassing a security warning of untrusted site. Three lines of comment and one very long line of text.
 

Similar threads

Bug Long quotes are not visible completely in the post preview
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
Help! Old PC dog has to learn new Mac tricks
  • · Replies 104 ·
4
Replies
104
Views
7K
LaTeX Problem with previewing Latex images
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
What are the features and updates on the PARTNERS page of Physics Forums?
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
3K
  • Sticky
Announcement Easy ways you can support Physics Forums
  • · Replies 97 ·
4
Replies
97
Views
49K
Intro Physics Feynman Lectures on Physics Photos posted online
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
5K
Introducing the PF Library
  • · Replies 183 ·
7
Replies
183
Views
80K
Undergrad Request for Input: 2D Minkowski Spacetime Diagram Generator
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
3K
  • Sticky
Homework Help Guidelines for Students and Helpers
  • · Replies 0 ·
Replies
0
Views
22K
  • Sticky
Homework Help Guidelines for Students and Helpers
  • · Replies 0 ·
Replies
0
Views
18K