Question

I downloaded both the Full Package and the Upgrade Package from my account, and they both look the same. Shouldn't they be different?

Answer

Due to improvements in the installation and upgrade process, including renaming the configuration file which ships with the download from mt.cfg to mt-config.cgi-original, we're now able to offer a single distribution package that works regardless of whether you're upgrading from an older version or installing Movable Type for the first time.

This not only simplifies our ability to prepare the...

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Question

I see a new version of Movable Type has been released; does my license entitled me to download this version for free?

Answer

Each 3.x license entitles the owner to free Updates and discounts on Upgrades, where:

* an "Update" is identified by the change of the revision to the right of the decimal point, i.e. X.1 to X.2

* an "Upgrade" is identified by the change of the revision to the left of the decimal point, i.e. 3.X to 4.X

So, your license covers you for any 3.X releases; once a 4.X version is released, you can upgrade your license...

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Question

When viewing my pages, characters in my language are encoded incorrectly.

Answer

When encoding characters into HTML entities (either for editing, or when you use the encode_html global tag attribute), Movable Type uses the HTML::Entities Perl module, if your server has it; otherwise, it uses a simple encoding that encodes <, >, and & into the proper entities.

In some cases, however, HTML::Entities will not work properly for your characters. This may happen, for example, if your characters are encoded in a different character...

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Question

I found a plugin that I want to use on my site. How do I install it?

Answer

These are the basic instructions for installing a plugin, but you should always review the readme file for the plugin if one is included. Some authors will require files be placed in a different directory structure, so follow their instructions on this. • Download and unzip/decompress the plugin file from the author's site.

• Use your FTP client to log into the directory where MT is installed on your server. If a plugins directory isn't there yet, create one.

If you use...

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Question

When running an upgrade script, I see the message You do not seem to be running the MySQL version. Exiting....

Answer

Note: The information in this article applies only to versions below 3.2.

Certain upgrade scripts only need to be run if you are using the MySQL version of Movable Type. If you see this message, and you are not using MySQL for your database, it is safe to disregard the warning and continue to the next upgrade script.

If you are using MySQL, make sure you've not inadvertently overwritten your original mt.cfg file when updating the Movable Type files on your server. If so, you may need to recreate this file with the correct settings for MySQL....

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Question

I have unchecked the option to Enable Unregistered Comment Moderation. Despite this, I still have to approve every comment before it shows up.

Answer

Are you running an older version of MT Blacklist? If so, it needs to be uninstalled. You should upgrade to the version of the plugin which is compatible with 3.x if you wish to continue using its features.

For more information on the newest version, see MT Blacklist - A Movable Type Anti-spam Plugin.

...

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Question

When rebuilding, I receive a message that says Reading from filehandle failed at lib/MT/FileMgr/Local.pm.

Answer

This usually means you have specified an Archive File Template that uses an invalid tag for a particular Archive Type.

Check your Archive File Templates on the Settings > Publishing screen under the Archive Mapping section1, and make sure you are only using the correct available tags for the Archive Type as noted in Can I control the name of my files?.

1 In versions prior to 3.2, navigate to Weblog Configuration >...

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Question

Someone posted a comment to my site, but the comment count for the entry did not increase.

Answer

First, Rebuild Site to see if the comment count updates to show the correct count.

If it does, check to see if you have background tasks enabled in mt-config.cgi1: LaunchBackgroundTasks 1

and if so, try disabling them instead: LaunchBackgroundTasks 0

(Alternatively, if you have background tasks disabled, try turning them on.)

If comment counts do not update even after a rebuild (and the rebuilds themselves are not failing for other...

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Question

Whenever I log in to Movable Type, it takes an unusually long time for the Main Menu to come up; but after that, moving around in the interface is much faster.

Answer

If you only see this behavior upon initial login, then your server may be having trouble retrieving the Movable Type News feed which displays on the Main Menu. If the problem persists, you can try disabling the retrieval in mt-config.cgi1 by adding the following setting: NewsboxURL disable

If moving around in the interface itself is slow, this is related to your server's...

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Running Movable Type with suexec or cgiwrap

Problem

You want to make your Movable Type system more secure with suexec or cgiwrap.

Solution

Run the system under cgiwrap or suexec.

Discussion

cgiwrap and suexec are special tools on the web server that allow your CGI scripts to be executed as "you", rather than as the web server. This simplifies Movable Type installation, because you no longer have to set permissions on your weblog or db directories, although you still need to set the permissions on the CGI scripts themselves. It is also more secure, because your weblog...

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Question

Dates on my entries are missing elements such as the day of the week or the month, even though I'm using valid date tag formats.

Answer

Note: The information in this article applies only to versions below 3.2.

The default blog_language may not have been set (due to a bug in certain versions). (You may also see certain Use of uninitialized errors during rebuilds as a result of this bug.)

Go to Weblog Configuration > Preferences, and then select a setting for Language for Date Display.

Save this change and then rebuild your site. ...

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Question

Whenever I click certain buttons in the interface, such as the Delete button, nothing happens, and I also see a Javascript error.

Answer

Many of the functions in 3.x are controlled by static Javascript files. Please see Images, styles, and documentation do not show up in the Knowledge Base for more information on the proper configuration for the static files.

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Question

I need to add a new author to the system, but I don't have an Authors shortcut and/or do not see a link to Create New Authors on the Authors Listing.

Answer

In version 3.2, only the System Administrator can create, edit and delete authors; Blog Administrators can only do the following with regard to authors: add an existing author to a weblog which they administer, and assign them permissions for that weblog

• modify the email address and permissions for an existing author who is assigned to a weblog which they administer

• remove an existing...

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Question

How do I change the information on my account, such as my email address or password?

Answer

Changes to your account information must be made in your TypeKey Profile. Log into your TypeKey account and make your changes there; then, the next time you log into Your Account, you must say YES to "Share your email address?" so that it will update your account with us.

You can change your email address, password, and public name, but your username cannot be changed.

Note that if you change your email address, you will need to confirm...

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Question

How do I make changes to the default search template visitors see when searching my weblog?

Answer

You can modify the search template by downloading the search_templates/default.tmpl file from your server and editing it with a plain text editor. Then upload it back to your server in ASCII mode.

Power Tip

You can more easily manage your default search template (and any alternate search templates) by linking them to a new Template Module.

Create the new Template Module, and enter the full server path to the default search template in the...

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Enabling Notifications

Problem

You want to allow your readers to sign up to receive e-mail notifications.

Solution

Place a notification subscription form in your layout.

Discussion

Movable Type includes the ability to easily send an email notification to readers to alert them of new posts.

You can use the mt-add-notify.cgi script, along with a small HTML form in your templates, to provide simple subscription services to readers.

mt-add-notify.cgi allows readers to subscribe to and unsubscribe from a weblog's notifications list after a confirmation step to check that the...

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Question

I've just installed Movable Type. How do I integrate my current site design into the system, so that the pages will now be updated with my Movable Type data whenever I publish a new entry?

Answer

Because each person's site is unique, there's not really a "one size fits all" way of integration with Movable Type; it's a process that differs according to your own preferences and needs. Overall, the best way to familiarize yourself with how the system works is to set up a test blog in a separate area of your site, and then make...

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Question

Can I receive upgrade credit for donations or commercial license payments for versions prior to 3.x?

Answer

If, in the past you have donated or paid for a Movable Type commercial license, we want to thank you by providing credit for your past payments.

Donations

You will need the Recently Updated Key(s) issued to you in exchange for your donation.

We will credit you $20 for the first key, $25 for your second key, and $20 for any subsequent keys up to the price of the license. Your keys can only be used once and if you subsequently...

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Question

How do I add a new weblog in Movable Type?

Answer

Assuming you have the necessary permissions to create weblogs in the system: • Determine the location for your new weblog and create the folder for it on your server, using FTP or a File Manager provided by your host. If your server is not running under cgiwrap or suexec, remember to set the permissions on the new folder to the UNIX equivalent of 777.

Tip: It may not always be necessary for you to create the weblog folder yourself: in version 3.21, Movable Type will try to create the folder...

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Question

Which database options are available, and which one should I choose?

Answer

There are four database options currently available with Movable Type: • MySQL • PostgreSQL • SQLite • Berkeley

The first step in determining which option to use is see what is available on your server when you run mt-check.cgi: • MySQL requires DBD::mysql • PostgreSQL requires DBD:Pg • SQLite requires DBD::SQLite • Berkeley requires DB_File

You should always use MySQL if it is available. MySQL is faster, more stable, and easier to backup. Even if the required module for MySQL is...

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