@jibberjab Could you please go to the blogs/inc/generic/model/_genericcategorycache.class.php and set $GLOBALS['debug_CategoryCache'] to true (line 43). After that, please go to Dashboard > Blog N > Contents > Settings > Categories, look for the section CategoryCache, at the bottom of the page, and share its content.

Thanks.

When I mentioned Blog N, I meant that you should go to the categories view of the blogs where the error is.

Ok that seems to be a step in the right direction.. It shows 2 instances of Missing Parent ID 42. Here is the debug info for blog #3:

CategoryCache:

    Revealing subset of children
    Checking path to root for cat ID=4 with path:
    *OK
    Checking path to root for cat ID=55 with path:
    *Checking path to root for cat ID=45 with path:55
    **OK
    Checking path to root for cat ID=56 with path:
    *Checking path to root for cat ID=45 with path:56
    **OK
    Checking path to root for cat ID=97 with path:
    *Checking path to root for cat ID=45 with path:97
    **OK
    Checking path to root for cat ID=91 with path:
    *Checking path to root for cat ID=41 with path:91
    **OK
    Checking path to root for cat ID=93 with path:
    *Checking path to root for cat ID=45 with path:93
    **OK
    Checking path to root for cat ID=92 with path:
    *Checking path to root for cat ID=41 with path:92
    **OK
    Checking path to root for cat ID=41 with path:
    *OK
    Checking path to root for cat ID=94 with path:
    *Checking path to root for cat ID=45 with path:94
    **OK
    Checking path to root for cat ID=47 with path:
    *OK
    Checking path to root for cat ID=95 with path:
    *Checking path to root for cat ID=45 with path:95
    **OK
    Checking path to root for cat ID=43 with path:
    *Missing parent ID(42)! -> assign to root
    Checking path to root for cat ID=44 with path:
    *Missing parent ID(42)! -> assign to root
    Checking path to root for cat ID=45 with path:
    *OK
    adding parent with ID=4
    adding child with ID=55 to parent ID=45
    adding child with ID=56 to parent ID=45
    adding child with ID=97 to parent ID=45
    adding child with ID=91 to parent ID=41
    adding child with ID=93 to parent ID=45
    adding child with ID=92 to parent ID=41
    adding parent with ID=41
    adding child with ID=94 to parent ID=45
    adding parent with ID=47
    adding child with ID=95 to parent ID=45
    adding parent with ID=43
    adding parent with ID=44
    adding parent with ID=45

EDIT: I repeated the debug process on the staging copy I have running on my laptop and got the same error, so at least there's some consistency.

jj.

I finally tracked this down, based on the output of that debug.. It lead me to look directly at the database and it seems that Category 43 and 44 were listed as having a parent Category of 42. But Cat 42 is not even part of blog 3, it's part of blog 4 which is hidden. In the b2evo backend I went into blog 3 category 43 and 44 and updated them with a Parent of "Root". That eliminated the error messages from the right sidebar, so that's another step forward. I then went into the database itself and assigned those categories to blog 4 where they were supposed to be. Now, another few questions...

Those 2 categories, 43 and 44, are unused/empty at the moment. How do I hide a category from being displayed on the front-end? I'd rather just hide them and reuse them later, instead of deleting them outright, but I can't figure out how to stop them from being displayed in the category list of the blog they're assigned to.

How do I approach the other bug I'm seeing, wherein the sidebar of blog #5 is empty of all normal sidebar content. The only thing being displayed in the sidebar of blog #5 right now is the XML Feed links, and the "Powered by b2evolution" image, which are by default the last 2 items in the sidebar. Nothing that normally comes before those items is being displayed (i.e. My messages, My contacts, My profile, avatar image, blog name, blog description, search, categories) and there is no error message either.

Also, I have a category which was previously created but none of the blogs on the system currently show it as belonging to them. How do I add an existing, but unattached category, to a specific blog? I know I can do this by editing the database directly, but would like to know how to do so from the back-end.

jj.

@jibberjab is good to know you solved one of the problems.

Regarding the empty/unused categories, maybe it makes sense to have a "show/hide" button to achieve this, but we don't have it right now, so I would suggest you to enable the Allow moving categories at http://b2evolution.net/man/categories-global-settings and move them to a hidden blog.

In the sidebar issue, please check if all the widgets that are supposed to be there are actually installed and available. What skin are you using? Also, maybe the missing widgets are in containers not included on that skin (you should see a message NOT INCLUDED IN SELECTED SKIN! at the top of the fieldset). Please check this and tell us.

Finally, the case of the orphan categories, there is not such a tool in the back-office to do that, you should manage it directly in the database :\

I'm using the same skin on all 3 blogs so it's not a skin issue because the other 2 blogs are working properly now. I've tested 5 of the preinstalled skins, using the same skin on all 3 blogs with each test. Nothing shows in the sidebar.. no categories.. no blog title.. no blog description.. no search.. nothing except the xml feeds and the b2evolution logo.

jj.

I think I've figured it out. Have to chalk this one up to a complete lack of familiarity with the new widget / plugin system, at least from the perspective of the old 1.10.2 system. I'll give this some more time this afternoon.

One thing I noticed in looking at the preinstalled widgets in blog#3 is that it includes

Advertisement (Universal Item List)
Random Photo (Photo Index)

but neither of these seems to be doing anything when looking at the blog itself. Am I missing some setting or permission setup elsewhere?

jj.

The Advertisement widget is the same Universal Item List (http://b2evolution.net/man/universal-item-list-widget-1), that is given pre-configured to display only the items which type is set as Advertisement (http://b2evolution.net/man/post-contents-fieldset). The widget will remain hidden from the front page until you have some items of that type.

Almost the same thing happens with the Random Photo widget. Please check the settings of the widget and confirm that the selected Blog and Post Type actually contains attached images to be shown.

Regards!