Hi tjabo,

Please try to remove the variables custom.less and run the compile again.
If it successful, then you may have some error syntax in variables custom.less

Please paste the content here so we could take a look.

Regards

Hello,

i have the same problem. I tried it on two websites, with standard-themes and my customized theme. Always the same error. So it can't be a problem with custom.less. Perhaps a bug?

Where can i see further error details? Please help.

Regards
Heimi

PS: Sorry for my bad english but I'm from Germany

Hi Peter,

eigentlich steht der genaue Fehler immer mit dabei - siehe Screenshot.

Viele Grüße

Olli

I have the same error here.

When I want to compile LESS to CSS I receive the following message.
Unexpected error. Please refresh the page try again later.

Unfortunately you can not get further error details.
The message comes up after some seconds since you have start compiling.

This error is not related to wrong LESS.
I have another joomla running (same Provider).
With this joomla compiling the same LESS code is possible.

(also german ;-)

Hi !
I am very happy to read that I am not alone with this problem :-)

I even have this problem on several websites...

I have started a thread on Joomlart forum here :
http://www.joomlart.com/forums/showthread.php?87543-Compile-LESS-to-CSS-quot-Unexpected-error.-Please-refresh-the-page-try-again-later.-quot

For those not having access to this forum, I make here a summary of my empirical workaround. Note that it really helps, but I name it a "workaround" and not a "solution" because it does not solve the problem as such (still don't know why I still get the error msg at times)

Yours,

Marc

Making always more tests, I have realised that the button "Compile LESS to CSS" does not only compile the CSS for the Template (Template Style to be precise) on which you are working on, but for all existing LESS folders.

So on my local server, I made the following test : deleting all subfolders in the /ja_mero/less/themes folder... except the one of my Theme of course.
Then, click on the "Compile LESS to CSS" button. Result : instead of 1 minute 15 seconds (sic), it only took 15 seconds. Namely 5 times faster ! Logical because there is only one Theme left instead of several.

Then I tried the same on my real webserver : after 20 seconds, the Compile LESS to CSS was a success !
Finally ! :-).

Hi,

We have update the problem message which show more detail when you got the error.
If you want easy to check your LESS file is ok or not, please add "?themer=1" to the end of your url.

If you have the problem with LESS please fix it.
If you are not, there should be something wrong with our framework / server configuration.

Since we have test on our server/localhost and other user out there, this is really a hard tracking problem.
Please help us by provide the server error log (please ask your hosting provider) or any information about it.

Server requirement:
- PHP 5.3+
- max_execution_time 300
- memory_limit 128M

Regards

Hi,

Txs for trying to help :-)

I have added as you suggested "?themer=1"
But what am I supposed to get ???

My site uses indeed a theme which was orignally a copy of "light" which I have adapted.
It is even my only remaining theme because I have deleted all other themes via ftp (because empirically I have noticed the following : the less you have themes, the greater the chance to get through the "compile less to css" process).

What I get adding "?themer=1" is no error message or anything of the like, but simply my site with a "black theme", the logo being replaced by JA_MERO logo etc. (see screenshots "before" and "after"
Is this what you call (i) a problem with the LESS file or (ii) a problem with the server ??

Here is my configuration :
PHP Version 5.3.16
max_execution_time 120
memory_limit 128M

Compared to your requirements, the only difference is the max_execution_time... but this should not be the cause. Indeed, whether I have a failure or a success with the Compile LESS to CSS, it always happens after 15 to 20 seconds in both cases (now that I have deleted all other themes to speed up the process).

Txs for helping further :-)

I can confirm the workaround above.
When you delete all the other themes except standard the one your are using, then compiling works.
For me that is okay.

But nevertheless it is strange.
I have three joomlas. Each of them in the same version. And at the same provider, but lower package.
For one it works, for 2 it works not (i mean not the workaround here).

Hi woluweb,

It seems good that you do not have LESS problem.
So I think it is from server configuration only.

Can you sent me the error log?

Regards

Hi Super User !
Txs for your help.

But the problem is not solved, not even for me !
Example : even with my workaround, I have made two "compile less to css" yesterday (because I had made little changes in one less file). Result :
- first time : I had first 2 failures ("Unexpected error. Please refresh the page try again later." and then finally 1 success ("succesfully compiled less to css"
- second time : I had first about 6 failures and then finally 1 success

And this is without changing anything to my configuration. Just keeping pressing the button as many times as necessary until the system tells it has sucessfully been done.

I PM you my log.

Yours,

Marc

PS : I forgot to mention : the failure msg comes maybe after 10 to 15 seconds. The success msg (when it comes) takes 15 to 20 seconds. From this I would conclude that the max_execution_time is not really the problem (this parameter is set on 120 seconds on my server. And I can't change it anyway)

I have the same problem. After 4 sec this error message comes up:

Unexpected error. Please refresh the page try again later.

So what is the final solution?

Hi dude,

You should check for the error of your .less files.
By add ?themer=1 or &themer=1 to your url, it may give you some suggestion on the error.

Also, you should check if your server configuration meet the minimum.

Here is my configuration :
PHP Version 5.3.16
max_execution_time 120
memory_limit 128M

Regards

Same problem, but only after update to J3.2.2 and T3v2.0.2. Before update, the LESS compiled OK. The &themer=1 didn't report anything.

Update: in my case, this turned out to be a lack of php memory execution time on a complex site with several template styles. I solved by backing up the site, installing in xampp, compressing locally, then uploading just the CSS files. Don't forget to go back into the live site and turn off dev mode.

(there is also a system plugin on github that compiles less to css on page load, which is very fast. useful in dev mode...but don't forget to disable the plugin after you've successfully compiled the site and turned off dev mode.)

Hi Admin, thanks for the hint, but are you serious with that?

max_execution_time 120
memory_limit 128M

I have a simple website on a shared hosting plan. And I think most people do not run Joomla on high performance or dedicated servers. I think there must be another solution to the problem. The tip from D.wM is a workaround but only until this is fixed. What a maintenance nightmare ...

cheers

HI dude,

I am sorry but there was no better LESS compiler for now.
D.wM's tip is the good for people who does not have a high performance server.

Or you can consider using custom.css, instead of modify .less files.

Regards

Hi!

I have the same problem.

I have Joomla 3.2.3 with Ja Teline IV T3 template.

max_execution_time 120
memory_limit 128M

I have added as you suggested "?themer=1"
but nothing happens, everything looks good.

My URL site: http://veintiuno.czoom.co/

So... what can I do?

Thanks

Hello,
I encountered the same bug when trying to compile LESS / CSS but only on T3_bs3_Blank.
After several tests of this template in several versions, I found that the problem arises from the T3_bs3_blank version 2.1.1. of 02.12.2014.
The T3_bs3_blank 2.1.0 works normally.
T3_bs3_blank versions 2.1.1., 2.1.2. and 2.1.3. send message "Unexpected error. Please refresh the page try again later."
Hoping that this can help ...
good day
(Sorry for my english, I'm French)

Hi guys, I was getting error with chrome, tried on safari, everything worked perfectly, it is probably not the browser but the extensions, but anyways, try a different browser.
Hope it helps

hi i have same that problem , in my site afer compile LESS to CSS it's always can't finish