Error when modifying existing item or adding a new one

I did a search but found nothing immediately relevant, but forgive the possible reposting.

I am attempting to upgrade to 1.5.3 from 1.5. 1.5 worked just fine (i can revert but would like to upgrade).

In 1.5.3 whenever I try to change item metadata or access posture (public/private), I receive the "Omeka has encountered an error" message. I followed the instructions for upgrading transferring the specified files and dirs. In case you are wondering, the archives dir IS writable.

The omeka error log provides:

2012-10-03T11:08:17-05:00 ERR (3): exception 'Zend_File_Transfer_Exception' with message 'The given destination is not a directory or does not exist' in /home/projectsstarkcenterorg/public_html/application/libraries/Zend/File/Transfer/Adapter/Abstract.php:1035
Stack trace:
#0 /home/projectsstarkcenterorg/public_html/application/libraries/Omeka/File/Ingest/Upload.php(40): Zend_File_Transfer_Adapter_Abstract->setDestination('/tmp')
#1 /home/projectsstarkcenterorg/public_html/application/libraries/Omeka/File/Ingest/Upload.php(112): Omeka_File_Ingest_Upload->_buildAdapter()
#2 /home/projectsstarkcenterorg/public_html/application/libraries/Omeka/File/Ingest/Abstract.php(165): Omeka_File_Ingest_Upload->_parseFileInfo('file')
#3 /home/projectsstarkcenterorg/public_html/application/models/ItemBuilder.php(209): Omeka_File_Ingest_Abstract->ingest('file')
#4 /home/projectsstarkcenterorg/public_html/application/libraries/globals.php(505): ItemBuilder->addFiles('Upload', 'file', Array)
#5 /home/projectsstarkcenterorg/public_html/application/models/Item.php(286): insert_files_for_item(Object(Item), 'Upload', 'file', Array)
#6 /home/projectsstarkcenterorg/public_html/application/models/Item.php(153): Item->_uploadFiles()
#7 [internal function]: Item->beforeSaveForm(Object(ArrayObject))
#8 /home/projectsstarkcenterorg/public_html/application/libraries/Omeka/Record.php(282): call_user_func_array(Array, Array)
#9 /home/projectsstarkcenterorg/public_html/application/libraries/Omeka/Record.php(803): Omeka_Record->runCallbacks('beforeSaveForm', Object(ArrayObject))
#10 /home/projectsstarkcenterorg/public_html/application/libraries/Omeka/Controller/Action.php(482): Omeka_Record->saveForm(Array)
#11 /home/projectsstarkcenterorg/public_html/application/controllers/ItemsController.php(99): Omeka_Controller_Action->editAction()
#12 /home/projectsstarkcenterorg/public_html/application/libraries/Zend/Controller/Action.php(516): ItemsController->editAction()
#13 /home/projectsstarkcenterorg/public_html/application/libraries/Zend/Controller/Dispatcher/Standard.php(295): Zend_Controller_Action->dispatch('editAction')
#14 /home/projectsstarkcenterorg/public_html/application/libraries/Zend/Controller/Front.php(954): Zend_Controller_Dispatcher_Standard->dispatch(Object(Zend_Controller_Request_Http), Object(Zend_Controller_Response_Http))
#15 /home/projectsstarkcenterorg/public_html/application/libraries/Zend/Application/Bootstrap/Bootstrap.php(97): Zend_Controller_Front->dispatch()
#16 /home/projectsstarkcenterorg/public_html/application/libraries/Zend/Application.php(366): Zend_Application_Bootstrap_Bootstrap->run()
#17 /home/projectsstarkcenterorg/public_html/application/libraries/Omeka/Core.php(165): Zend_Application->run()
#18 /home/projectsstarkcenterorg/public_html/admin/index.php(44): Omeka_Core->run()

The php error log gives a similar error:

[03-Oct-2012 11:08:17] PHP Warning:  is_dir() [<a href='function.is-dir'>function.is-dir</a>]: open_basedir restriction in effect. File(/tmp) is not within the allowed path(s): (/home/projectsstarkcenterorg:/usr/share/pear:/usr/bin) in /home/projectsstarkcenterorg/public_html/application/libraries/Zend/File/Transfer/Adapter/Abstract.php on line 1033

I haven't attempted to tweak php configs (open_basedir) yet as 1.5 worked (and still does when I restore that version).

Any help on this is much appreciated.

It looks like not quite the same thing, but similar enough, to this, and this response to it.

I'm unsure about why your 1.5 installation was fine, but 1.5.3 is not, but trying the things in those threads might be a good first step.

Thanks for the suggestions. I made the change proscribed to paths.php and includedset_include_path('.');. This had no noticeable effect.

I also learned that php.ini cannot be changed (and assigned another tmp dir) and that the open base restrictions can not be altered.

I did find this thread: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/omeka-dev/mKtrJD6tu-c/IPs3WN6HyqoJ

So, ill give it a shot and in the event it fails, I will revert to 1.5--unless there is an alternative. Is there?

Thanks.

Try this:

Create an empty, writable directory somewhere within your webspace (so it's within the open_basedir restrictions, since you can't change those).

Then, in Omeka's application/config/config.ini, add the following line:

storage.tempDir = "/path/to/your/new/directory"

This should make Omeka use that directory instead of /tmp, and should let you get around the open_basedir problem.

Presto! That did the trick. Thanks John.