Joomla! Issue Tracker | Joomla! CMS #48739 - Install failure with no error message

No Code Attached Yet bug

New
Medium
Build: 6.2-dev
# 48739

Shachar
31 Oct 2026

What happened?

Reproduce:

Set up a new web site.
Extract the Joomla 6.2 installation files into the web root, with permissions set so they are all read-only
Connect to the web site to start the installation.

Error log:

#19703 /srv/www/lingnu.com/libraries/src/Language/Language.php(211): Joomla\CMS\Language\Language->load()
#19704 /srv/www/lingnu.com/libraries/src/Language/LanguageFactory.php(35): Joomla\CMS\Language\Language->__construct()
#19705 /srv/www/lingnu.com/libraries/src/Language/CachingLanguageFactory.php(45): Joomla\CMS\Language\LanguageFactory->createLanguage()
#19706 /srv/www/lingnu.com/libraries/src/Factory.php(745): Joomla\CMS\Language\CachingLanguageFactory->createLanguage()
#19707 /srv/www/lingnu.com/libraries/src/Factory.php(305): Joomla\CMS\Factory::createLanguage()
#19708 /srv/www/lingnu.com/libraries/src/Language/Text.php(257): Joomla\CMS\Factory::getLanguage()
#19709 /srv/www/lingnu.com/libraries/src/Language/LanguageHelper.php(522): Joomla\CMS\Language\Text::sprintf()
#19710 /srv/www/lingnu.com/libraries/src/Language/Language.php(815): Joomla\CMS\Language\LanguageHelper::parseIniFile()
#19711 /srv/www/lingnu.com/libraries/src/Language/Language.php(786): Joomla\CMS\Language\Language->parse()
#19712 /srv/www/lingnu.com/libraries/src/Language/Language.php(677): Joomla\CMS\Language\Language->loadLanguage()
#19713 /srv/www/lingnu.com/libraries/src/Language/Language.php(646): Joomla\CMS\Language\Language->load()
#19714 /srv/www/lingnu.com/libraries/src/Language/Language.php(211): Joomla\CMS\Language\Language->load()
#19715 /srv/www/lingnu.com/libraries/src/Language/LanguageFactory.php(35): Joomla\CMS\Language\Language->__construct()
#19716 /srv/www/lingnu.com/libraries/src/Language/CachingLanguageFactory.php(45): Joomla\CMS\Language\LanguageFactory->createLanguage()
#19717 /srv/www/lingnu.com/libraries/src/Factory.php(745): Joomla\CMS\Language\CachingLanguageFactory->createLanguage()
#19718 /srv/www/lingnu.com/libraries/src/Factory.php(305): Joomla\CMS\Factory::createLanguage()
#19719 /srv/www/lingnu.com/libraries/src/Language/Text.php(257): Joomla\CMS\Factory::getLanguage()
#19720 /srv/www/lingnu.com/libraries/src/Language/LanguageHelper.php(522): Joomla\CMS\Language\Text::sprintf()
#19721 /srv/www/lingnu.com/libraries/src/Language/Language.php(815): Joomla\CMS\Language\LanguageHelper::parseIniFile()
#19722 /srv/www/lingnu.com/libraries/src/Language/Language.php(786): Joomla\CMS\Language\Language->parse()
#19723 /srv/www/lingnu.com/libraries/src/Language/Language.php(677): Joomla\CMS\Language\Language->loadLanguage()
#19724 /srv/www/lingnu.com/libraries/src/Language/Language.php(646): Joomla\CMS\Language\Language->load()
#19725 /srv/www/lingnu.com/libraries/src/Language/Language.php(211): Joomla\CMS\Language\Language->load()
#19726 /srv/www/lingnu.com/libraries/src/Language/LanguageFactory.php(35): Joomla\CMS\Language\Language->__construct()
#19727 /srv/www/lingnu.com/libraries/src/Language/CachingLanguageFactory.php(45): Joomla\CMS\Language\LanguageFactory->createLanguage()
#19728 /srv/www/lingnu.com/libraries/src/Factory.php(745): Joomla\CMS\Language\CachingLanguageFactory->createLanguage()
#19729 /srv/www/lingnu.com/libraries/src/Factory.php(305): Joomla\CMS\Factory::createLanguage()
#19730 /srv/www/lingnu.com/libraries/src/Language/Text.php(257): Joomla\CMS\Factory::getLanguage()
#19731 /srv/www/lingnu.com/libraries/src/Language/LanguageHelper.php(522): Joomla\CMS\Language\Text::sprintf()
#19732 /srv/www/lingnu.com/libraries/src/Language/Language.php(815): Joomla\CMS\Language\LanguageHelper::parseIniFile()
#19733 /srv/www/lingnu.com/libraries/src/Language/Language.php(786): Joomla\CMS\Language\Language->parse()
#19734 /srv/www/lingnu.com/libraries/src/Language/Language.php(677): Joomla\CMS\Language\Language->loadLanguage()
#19735 /srv/www/lingnu.com/libraries/src/Language/Language.php(646): Joomla\CMS\Language\Language->load()
#19736 /srv/www/lingnu.com/libraries/src/Language/Language.php(211): Joomla\CMS\Language\Language->load()
#19737 /srv/www/lingnu.com/libraries/src/Language/LanguageFactory.php(35): Joomla\CMS\Language\Language->__construct()
#19738 /srv/www/lingnu.com/libraries/src/Language/CachingLanguageFactory.php(45): Joomla\CMS\Language\LanguageFactory->createLanguage()
#19739 /srv/www/lingnu.com/installation/src/Application/InstallationApplication.php(429): Joomla\CMS\Language\CachingLanguageFactory->createLanguage()
#19740 /srv/www/lingnu.com/installation/src/Application/InstallationApplication.php(220): Joomla\CMS\Installation\Application\InstallationApplication->initialiseApp()
#19741 /srv/www/lingnu.com/installation/src/Application/InstallationApplication.php(237): Joomla\CMS\Installation\Application\InstallationApplication->doExecute()
#19742 /srv/www/lingnu.com/installation/includes/app.php(68): Joomla\CMS\Installation\Application\InstallationApplication->execute()
#19743 /srv/www/lingnu.com/installation/index.php(32): require_once('...')
#19744 {main}

Version

6.2

Expected result

Error message saying Joomla can't start the installer because it doesn't have permission to create directories.

Actual result

Everything hangs for 30 seconds, and then the red "error 500" screen with no more details.

System Information

Ubuntu 26.04, php-fpm 8.5, nginx.

Additional Comments

It's not about the fact that the installer doesn't succeed. It's about the lack of proper error message.

Shachar - open - 31 Oct 2026

Shachar - change - 31 Oct 2026

Labels

Added: bug

Shachar - labeled - 31 Oct 2026

joomla-cms-bot - change - 31 Oct 2026

Labels

Added: No Code Attached Yet

joomla-cms-bot - labeled - 31 Oct 2026

Shachar - change - 31 Oct 2026

The description was changed

Shachar - edited - 31 Oct 2026

brianteeman - comment - 1 Nov 2026

Looking at the stack trace it appears that it might be trying to output an error message but it is stuck in a recursive loop

brianteeman - comment - 1 Nov 2026

The problem is that Joomla is unable to create the cache folder due to the permissions - the caching of language files was introduced with #45289

The fundamental problem is that Text::sprintf() assumes a functioning language object exists. During initial language initialisation, that assumption isn't necessarily true.

       } catch (FilesystemException) {
            try {
                Log::add(
                    Text::sprintf('JLIB_LANGUAGE_ERROR_CANNOT_WRITE_CACHE', str_replace(JPATH_ROOT, '', $cacheFile)),
                    Log::WARNING,
                    'language'
                );
}

An option would be change this to a non-translatable string

} catch (FilesystemException) {
    Log::add(
        'Unable to write language cache file: '
        . str_replace(JPATH_ROOT, '', $cacheFile),
        Log::WARNING,
        'language'
    );
}

That should solve the problem but it needs a mainatiners decision @MacJoom @drmenzelit

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[#48739] - Install failure with no error message - permissions