Sudden Error Throwing when I'm uploading an image on Reclaim Hosting

I’m suddenly getting an error when I try to upload an image to an instance of Curatescape hosted on Reclaim Hosting. We did not have the error previously. This change occurred sometime in 2025, as there has been some time since the last work uploading images to stories. I suspect it is with the image handler on the server needing to be upgraded (or perhaps a mismatch in versions.) Any advice on where I can start troubleshooting this would be most appreciated.

Please see the error, which happens when I try to upload an image:

Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Call to undefined function shell_exec() in /home/worldwa3/public_html/application/libraries/Omeka/File/MimeType/Detect/Strategy/FileCommand.php:23 Stack trace: #0 /home/worldwa3/public_html/application/libraries/Omeka/File/MimeType/Detect.php(101): Omeka_File_MimeType_Detect_Strategy_FileCommand->detect(‘/tmp/php8ztMdt’) #1 /home/worldwa3/public_html/application/libraries/Omeka/Validate/File/MimeType.php(70): Omeka_File_MimeType_Detect->detect() #2 /home/worldwa3/public_html/application/libraries/Zend/File/Transfer/Adapter/Abstract.php(673): Omeka_Validate_File_MimeType->isValid(‘/tmp/php8ztMdt’, Array) #3 /home/worldwa3/public_html/application/libraries/Zend/File/Transfer/Adapter/Http.php(148): Zend_File_Transfer_Adapter_Abstract->isValid(‘file_0_’) #4 /home/worldwa3/public_html/application/libraries/Zend/File/Transfer/Adapter/Http.php(159): Zend_File_Transfer_Adapter_Http->isValid(‘file_0_’) #5 /home/worldwa3/public_html/application/libraries/Omeka/File/Ingest/Upload.php(89): Zend_File_Transfer_Adapter_Http->receive(‘file_0_’) #6 /home/worldwa3/public_html/application/libraries/Omeka/File/Ingest/AbstractIngest.php(176): Omeka_File_Ingest_Upload->_transferFile(Array, ‘The Pre\xCC\x81tot St…’) #7 /home/worldwa3/public_html/application/models/Builder/Item.php(201): Omeka_File_Ingest_AbstractIngest->ingest(‘file’) #8 /home/worldwa3/public_html/application/libraries/globals.php(567): Builder_Item->addFiles(‘Upload’, ‘file’, Array) #9 /home/worldwa3/public_html/application/models/Item.php(323): insert_files_for_item(Object(Item), ‘Upload’, ‘file’, Array) #10 /home/worldwa3/public_html/application/models/Item.php(233): Item->_uploadFiles() #11 /home/worldwa3/public_html/application/libraries/Omeka/Record/AbstractRecord.php(281): Item->beforeSave(Array) #12 /home/worldwa3/public_html/application/libraries/Omeka/Record/AbstractRecord.php(530): Omeka_Record_AbstractRecord->runCallbacks(‘beforeSave’, Array) #13 /home/worldwa3/public_html/application/libraries/Omeka/Controller/AbstractActionController.php(236): Omeka_Record_AbstractRecord->save(false) #14 /home/worldwa3/public_html/application/controllers/ItemsController.php(88): Omeka_Controller_AbstractActionController->editAction() #15 /home/worldwa3/public_html/application/libraries/Zend/Controller/Action.php(516): ItemsController->editAction() #16 /home/worldwa3/public_html/application/libraries/Zend/Controller/Dispatcher/Standard.php(308): Zend_Controller_Action->dispatch(‘editAction’) #17 /home/worldwa3/public_html/application/libraries/Zend/Controller/Front.php(954): Zend_Controller_Dispatcher_Standard->dispatch(Object(Zend_Controller_Request_Http), Object(Zend_Controller_Response_Http)) #18 /home/worldwa3/public_html/application/libraries/Zend/Application/Bootstrap/Bootstrap.php(106): Zend_Controller_Front->dispatch() #19 /home/worldwa3/public_html/application/libraries/Zend/Application.php(384): Zend_Application_Bootstrap_Bootstrap->run() #20 /home/worldwa3/public_html/application/libraries/Omeka/Application.php(73): Zend_Application->run() #21 /home/worldwa3/public_html/admin/index.php(28): Omeka_Application->run() #22 {main} thrown in /home/worldwa3/public_html/application/libraries/Omeka/File/MimeType/Detect/Strategy/FileCommand.php on line 23

I updated and reinstalled. Upon closer inspection, the versioning was what appeared to be causing the error.

Based on this Omeka Forum post, it looks like the easiest fix would probably be to just upgrade Omeka.

From the post:

That disabled function [shell_exec()] leading to an error is a problem we fixed in version 3.1.1: updating to that version (or better, 3.1.2, the most recent 3.1 version) should fix the problem…

1 Like