For those of us who like to use highly customizable free WordPress themes like Suffusion and Thematic, there is some good news today: Atahualpa 3.5.2 is available for download. Unfortunately (did you guess that was coming?), Atahualpa 3.5.2 has a serious bug that causes server CPU and memory usage to skyrocket.
I’ve tried Atahualpa 3.5.2 on multiple servers and in all cases the CPU usage spirals above 37% and the memory usage goes beyond 5%. Such a shame because its straight-edged look is a great alternative to Suffusion’s curvy look.
I advise anyone wishing to upgrade to Atahualpa 3.5.2 to wait for a bug fix to be released or risk being kicked off your server. Alright, the most that’ll usually happen is that your server account will be suspended until the theme is downgraded.
If you have already installed (or upgraded to) the new theme version and your web host has suspended your account without providing you access to your WordPress admin panel, just delete the Atahualpa 3.5.2 directory in /wp-content/themes/ to force WordPress to use its default theme (TwentyTen, or Kubrik in pre WP 3 versions).
One of the most common issues to afflict most web developers who try to enable WordPress Multi Site is WordPress’s insistence that subdirectory blogs cannot be setup. The message WordPress throws up to show its dominance over afflicted web developers is:
Because your install is not new, the sites in your WordPress network must use sub-domains. The main site in a sub-directory install will need to use a modified permalink structure, potentially breaking existing links.
And the first thing afflicted web developers do is… they scream at their computers “What the f**k is that supposed to mean?”
Seriously, what is it supposed to mean?
The next thing they do is Google for answers. I know this because I tried both strategies before I bit the bullet and re-installed a very large WordPress installation. Some of my search terms were:
- Can’t enable multi site subdomains
- WordPress won’t allow subdomains
- How do I enable subdomains not subdirectories in WordPress
- How do I force subdomain use in WordPress MS
- WordPress subdomain subdirectory installation problem multi site
If you followed the same path as me and eventually, after re-installing WordPress, returned to the Multi Site activation screen you would know that re-installation, contrary to what is indicated by WordPress’s message, is not the solution. No, what WordPress is trying to say in a convoluted way is not that the WordPress installation is too old for Multi Site to be enabled for subdirectories but something else. Here is a translation of its message:
I had a bit of a surprise yesterday, I logged into one of my sponsor filled autoblogs only to find it wasn’t there! My server and WordPress had conspired to perform an amazing disappearing multi site act! Those guys, they make me laugh…with hysterical cries of despair!
