504 Gateway Timeout

[jcmontherock]

I have the same problem. It seems that it depend with which url we access to it. If I access directly with this URL it's OK:
https://forum.lazarus.freepascal.org/

[Martin_fr]

https://forum.lazarus.freepascal.org/index.php/topic,73927.msg581458.html#msg581458

[jcmontherock]

I only use Firefox...

[bytebites]

Not so boring, since there is also random database errors.

[Fibonacci]

@Marc: could you reveal what PHP version is running on the forum? SMF 2.0.19 can run on anything from PHP 5.3 upward (per the docs). If it's below PHP 7, it's probably worth bumping it up.

Wild guess - given how old everything else looks here, I'd bet on PHP 5.6, maybe even 5.4. PHP 7 got a major performance boost - typical real-world workloads run 2-3x faster while using roughly half the memory compared to 5.6. For something where PHP handling is the bottleneck (per your numbers: Apache 2%, Fail2Ban 5%, MySQL 20%, PHP: the rest), that single upgrade could be a free win.

[rvk]

@Marc: could you reveal what PHP version is running on the forum? SMF 2.0.19 can run on anything from PHP 5.3 upward (per the docs). If it's below PHP 7, it's probably worth bumping it up.

It might be worth it to bump the version of SMF itself too. Hopefully implementing the responsive view for mobile at the same time 

SMF 2.0.19 is really old.

[valdir.marcos]

@Marc: could you reveal what PHP version is running on the forum? SMF 2.0.19 can run on anything from PHP 5.3 upward (per the docs). If it's below PHP 7, it's probably worth bumping it up.

It might be worth it to bump the version of SMF itself too. Hopefully implementing the responsive view for mobile at the same time 

SMF 2.0.19 is really old.

Since I am not a SMF administrator, I'm not sure whether this would be a good move, but here is the information:

SMF 2.0.19 Released
Started by Sesquipedalian, December 21, 2021, 04:44:51 PM
https://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=579982.0


SMF 2.1.0 Released
Started by Sesquipedalian, February 09, 2022, 12:42:51 PM
https://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=580585.0

Simple Machines is pleased to announce the official release of the long awaited SMF 2.1.

This release marks the transition of SMF 2.1 into the current stable release of SMF. This means that:

SMF 2.1 is now the recommended version for use on live production forums. We encourage everyone to start planning for an upgrade to SMF 2.1.
SMF 2.0 remains supported and will continue to receive security updates for the foreseeable future, but this release officially marks the end of further 2.0 development. We will release a separate announcement for any future changes to SMF 2.0's status.


Notable changes in 2.1

The changes between SMF 2.0.x and SMF 2.1 are too many to count, but here are a few highlights:

New features for users
A new WYSIWYG editor, SCEditor
Real-time alerts in addition to email notifications
A new default theme with full support for mobile devices
Draft messages (you can save & resume later)
Mentions using @name syntax
Drag & drop attachments
[/Red]Attachments can be embedded directly into post text
New features for moderators and administrators
An improved Administrator Control Panel
Support for moderator groups, not just individuals
Many security enhancements, including support for optional Two Factor Authentication[/Red]
IPv6 support
Designed with GDPR support
New features for modification and theme authors
A massive expansion of the number of integration hooks available
More powerful BBCode possibilities
Background tasks
New capabilities in the Package SDK

You can learn more about the many new features and changes in SMF 2.1 here.
https://wiki.simplemachines.org/smf/Differences_between_SMF_2.1_and_SMF_2.0

...

How to upgrade to SMF 2.1

You can upgrade to SMF 2.1 from any previous version using the "Large Upgrade" package from the Download page.

Be aware that upgrading to SMF 2.1 will remove any modifications you may have installed on your existing SMF forum, and that SMF 2.1 is incompatible with custom themes designed for earlier versions of SMF. You will need to install new versions of those modifications and/or themes after upgrading. Many modifications and themes have already been updated by their authors to support SMF 2.1, but you may wish to check the status of individual modifications or themes before proceeding.

Please refer to the Online Manual for more details about upgrading.
https://wiki.simplemachines.org/smf/Upgrading

With this release we'd like to take the opportunity to recognize the effort and dedication of all the people who have volunteered their time to help the SMF project. We would like to thank everyone, past and present, who has contributed to the development of SMF over the past years.

SMF 2.1.7 Released
Started by SleePy, March 08, 2026, 08:49:59 AM
https://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=593921.0

Simple Machines is pleased to announce a new patch for the 2.1.x line of SMF, which pushes the version number to 2.1.7.

Notable changes in SMF 2.1.7

PHPSESSID removal
Mail queue fix
Search fixes for mb3 and memory types
BBC bug fixes
Fixes broken activation links in Gmail
Fixes image/avatar handling bug caused by missing mime handlers
SCEditor fixes
User alerts fixes
Caching fixes
Unicode update fixes
Proxy detection fixes
Various other bug fixes


Please see the change list on GitHub for more information.
https://github.com/SimpleMachines/SMF/milestone/23?closed=1

[dsiders]

@Marc: could you reveal what PHP version is running on the forum? SMF 2.0.19 can run on anything from PHP 5.3 upward (per the docs). If it's below PHP 7, it's probably worth bumping it up.

It might be worth it to bump the version of SMF itself too. Hopefully implementing the responsive view for mobile at the same time 

SMF 2.0.19 is really old.

Since I am not a SMF administrator, I'm not sure whether this would be a good move, but here is the information:

SMF 2.0.19 Released
Started by Sesquipedalian, December 21, 2021, 04:44:51 PM
https://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=579982.0

SMF 2.1.7 Released
Started by SleePy, March 08, 2026, 08:49:59 AM
https://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=593921.0

Simple Machines is pleased to announce a new patch for the 2.1.x line of SMF, which pushes the version number to 2.1.7.

Notable changes in SMF 2.1.7

PHPSESSID removal
Mail queue fix
Search fixes for mb3 and memory types
BBC bug fixes
Fixes broken activation links in Gmail
Fixes image/avatar handling bug caused by missing mime handlers
SCEditor fixes
User alerts fixes
Caching fixes
Unicode update fixes
Proxy detection fixes
Various other bug fixes

Please see the change list on GitHub for more information.
https://github.com/SimpleMachines/SMF/milestone/23?closed=1

Specifically, this: https://github.com/SimpleMachines/SMF/pull/8394#issuecomment-2588191375

[440bx]

I'll state the obvious:  anything that can help would definitely be most welcome.  it has become rare the day there isn't a substantial number of 504s.  It would be nice if those became rare again.

[Marc]

Unfortunately smf is not the only part of the puzzle.  We also use tiny-portal, which wasn't compatible with smf 2.1 for a long time (at least not when I had the time to upgrade everything)

[440bx]

Just to make sure I didn't and don't give the wrong impression, I, like everyone else greatly appreciate the efforts you make to solve this rather inconvenient problem.

[rvk]

TinyPortal also moved on a few years ago 

*Support for SMF2.0.x has been dropped starting TinyPortal version 3.0.0.
*SMF2.0.x is still supported by TinyPortal, but only up to TinyPortal version 2.3.1.

[valdir.marcos]

Unfortunately smf is not the only part of the puzzle.  We also use tiny-portal, which wasn't compatible with smf 2.1 for a long time (at least not when I had the time to upgrade everything)

I also greatly appreciate the efforts you make to solve this very inconvenient problem.

Some information is contradictory...


https://custom.simplemachines.org/index.php?mod=97

What is TinyPortal?

TinyPortal is a mod for SMF that adds a powerful and mature CMS to your SMF Forum in minutes, with native integration, without having to worry about bridging, database, and appearance. Your SMF and TP will be a homogenous ensemble from installation. It's up to you and your creativity to use TP's features to customize your site and organize its content.

TinyPortal 3.0.3
https://www.tinyportal.net/docs/index.php?page=TinyPortal-3.0.3
https://github.com/TinyPortal/TinyPortal/releases
https://github.com/Tinyportal/TinyPortal/releases/tag/v3.0.3

Posted in Change log January 26, 2026, 09:20:00 AM Views: 181
January, 2026

Changelog: TinyPortal 3.0.3

TinyPortal 3.0.3 can be used on SMF 2.1 and should also work on SMF 3.0
Minimum required PHP version : 7.0.0
Highest tested PHP version: 8.4.15

This includes the following updates and fixes:

Functional changes:
- added an on/off switch to the Frontpage
- updated pageindexes in many sections with UP and DOWN function
- new setting in the main settings to activate the Promote Topic button
- new Block type that can be used to show Promoted topics, similar to Recent topics

Technical changes and Bugfixes:
- TPStandalone: Fix for rewriting the forum menu option
- TPStandalone: Fix for setting the active menu option to Home
- Removed non-functional article settings for width of side panels
- HTML5 validation issues
- Fixed upgrade issue with block setting being lost when upgrading from TinyPortal version 1.6.5 or older
- Cleaned up the logic for showing elements on frontpage
- Corrected blocks not showing on boardindex when Frontpage disabled
- Various code fixes
- Fix for error Undefined array key "cats_count" when all articles are deleted
- Fix for error preg_match_all(): Compilation failed: range out of order in character class at offset 8

Notes:
Support for SMF2.0.x has been dropped starting TinyPortal version 3.0.0.
SMF2.0.x is still supported by TinyPortal, but only up to TinyPortal version 2.3.1.

Note that SMF3.0 is under development, we cannot guarantee stable support for 3.0 untill a Final version is released.

TinyPortal v3.0.3 Hooks only
TinyPortal Mod for SMF With, Articles, Pages, Blocks, Panels, Downloads manager, Shoutbox,
https://custom.simplemachines.org/index.php?mod=97

Compatible With 2.0.17, 2.0.18, 2.1 RC4, 2.0.19, 2.1.1, 2.1.2, 2.1.3, 2.1.4, 2.1.6
cs_latest_version v3.0.3
License Mozilla Public License 2.0 (View License)
Tag PHP 7.0+


What you need to install TinyPortal

In order to install TinyPortal, you need to have a working version of Simple Machines Forum. SMF version must be SMF2.1. or SMF3.0.

Note that SMF3.0 is under development, we cannot guarantee stable support for 3.0 untill a Final version is released.

Zip files are provided for install both on the Simple Machines Site and the TinyPortal Site (the archive with old version packages is available in the download section).

Note: It is recommended to uninstall any previous version of TinyPortal before you install TinyPortal. Make a backup of all your SMF and TinyPortal files before you uninstall.

SMF2.0 is supported by TinyPortal only up to TinyPortal version 2.3.1. Support for SMF2.0 has been dropped starting TinyPortal version 3.0.0.

License Information:
The contents of this file are subject to the Mozilla Public License Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may not use this package except in compliance with the License. You may obtain a copy of the License at https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/MPL/2.0/

[Marc]

Good to know.
As I wrote the last time I checked (but that may be a while) development of TP didn't progress that much.
Anyway, upgrading won't help much, but I sure will do. I expect the whole update process will take at least a day (there are some other upgrades too), so I need to find that day.

[Fibonacci]

On top of the 504 Gateway Timeouts, my IP keeps getting blocked by the firewall. Hit a 504 today, waited a few hours for things to come back up - still nothing. Checked via VPN: works fine.

This is the second (or third?) time my IP gets blocked. Last time I PM'd @Marc (via VPN) and apparently it was some bug in a firewall rule. What's the story this time?


UPDATE: Posting this through VPN and - of course - hit another 504 Gateway Timeout, so I'm waiting... I'll send the post and then wait for my IP to get unblocked rather than keep messing with the VPN. EVERY SINGLE TIME I open the forum there's *some* problem - if not right away, then after a few minutes it stops working. It's frustrating to a degree I'd need words I can't use here to describe properly.


UPDATE 2: OK, IP unblocked no idea if it was auto or manual.

...anyway, in all the frustration I lost the plot and made this whole post about my own IP block, when the actual question I wanted to ask was: does anyone else run into IP blocks too? Not the 504s - I mean "site doesn't respond" or "connection refused".