Problem uploading large files with rails

Hello all...

I am having trouble uploading large files in my rails application. I am using rails version 2.2.2. Upload processing is being handled by Paperclip. The site is running on Passenger.

I have set up a basic upload form setup. I can upload small files (anything under 70mb). If I try to upload a large file, I get a 500 error. The log file says:

/!\ FAILSAFE /!\ Mon Jul 20 15:35:14 -0700 2009
Status: 500 Internal Server Error
no content body
/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-2.2.2/lib/action_controller/request.rb:653:in `read_multipart'
/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-2.2.2/lib/action_controller/request.rb:581:in `parse_multipart_form_parameters'
/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-2.2.2/lib/action_controller/request.rb:511:in `parse_formatted_request_parameters'
/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-2.2.2/lib/action_controller/request.rb:441:in `request_parameters'
/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-2.2.2/lib/action_controller/request.rb:392:in `parameters'
/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-2.2.2/lib/action_controller/session_management.rb:139:in `set_session_options_without_components'
/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-2.2.2/lib/action_controller/components.rb:161:in `set_session_options'
/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-2.2.2/lib/action_controller/session_management.rb:133:in `process'
/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-2.2.2/lib/action_controller/base.rb:392:in `process'
/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-2.2.2/lib/action_controller/dispatcher.rb:183:in `handle_request'
/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-2.2.2/lib/action_controller/dispatcher.rb:110:in `dispatch_unlocked'
/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-2.2.2/lib/action_controller/dispatcher.rb:123:in `dispatch'
/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-2.2.2/lib/action_controller/dispatcher.rb:122:in `synchronize'
/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-2.2.2/lib/action_controller/dispatcher.rb:122:in `dispatch'
/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-2.2.2/lib/action_controller/dispatcher.rb:132:in `dispatch_cgi'
/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/actionpack-2.2.2/lib/action_controller/dispatcher.rb:39:in `dispatch'
/dh/passenger/lib/phusion_passenger/railz/request_handler.rb:45:in `process_request'
/dh/passenger/lib/phusion_passenger/abstract_request_handler.rb:203:in `main_loop'
/dh/passenger/lib/phusion_passenger/railz/application_spawner.rb:340:in `start_request_handler'
/dh/passenger/lib/phusion_passenger/railz/application_spawner.rb:298:in `handle_spawn_application'
/dh/passenger/lib/phusion_passenger/utils.rb:181:in `safe_fork'
/dh/passenger/lib/phusion_passenger/railz/application_spawner.rb:296:in `handle_spawn_application'
/dh/passenger/lib/phusion_passenger/abstract_server.rb:337:in `__send__'
/dh/passenger/lib/phusion_passenger/abstract_server.rb:337:in `main_loop'
/dh/passenger/lib/phusion_passenger/abstract_server.rb:187:in `start_synchronously'
/dh/passenger/lib/phusion_passenger/abstract_server.rb:154:in `start'
/dh/passenger/lib/phusion_passenger/railz/application_spawner.rb:192:in `start'
/dh/passenger/lib/phusion_passenger/spawn_manager.rb:257:in `spawn_rails_application'
/dh/passenger/lib/phusion_passenger/abstract_server_collection.rb:126:in `lookup_or_add'
/dh/passenger/lib/phusion_passenger/spawn_manager.rb:251:in `spawn_rails_application'
/dh/passenger/lib/phusion_passenger/abstract_server_collection.rb:80:in `synchronize'
/dh/passenger/lib/phusion_passenger/abstract_server_collection.rb:79:in `synchronize'
/dh/passenger/lib/phusion_passenger/spawn_manager.rb:250:in `spawn_rails_application'
/dh/passenger/lib/phusion_passenger/spawn_manager.rb:153:in `spawn_application'
/dh/passenger/lib/phusion_passenger/spawn_manager.rb:282:in `handle_spawn_application'
/dh/passenger/lib/phusion_passenger/abstract_server.rb:337:in `__send__'
/dh/passenger/lib/phusion_passenger/abstract_server.rb:337:in `main_loop'
/dh/passenger/lib/phusion_passenger/abstract_server.rb:187:in `start_synchronously'
/dh/passenger/bin/passenger-spawn-server:55

It never reaches my controller to do the actual processing of the uploaded file so I'm thinking this is an apache issue. Has anyone else run into this? Is there a workaround?

Thank you in advance for any insight.

Marc

Generally you shouldn't use HTTP-upload on large files.

On your own server you can change settings on size and timelimits to whatever you want, but you can't on a shared webserver.

It may well be that 70MB is the limit with the current settings - I don't know.