# Premature end of script headers: dispatch.fcgi

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/premature-end-of-script-headers-dispatch-fcgi/143899>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [July 23, 2008, 6:02pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/premature-end-of-script-headers-dispatch-fcgi/143899 "2008-07-23T18:02:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![cojones](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@cojones](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/cojones)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 6:02pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/premature-end-of-script-headers-dispatch-fcgi/143899/1 "2008-07-23T18:02:17Z")

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Hey people,

I’m working on this issue for more than 4 hours now and I have no idea  
what’s wrong so I ask you kindly to have a look at my stuff.

When I try to access my website I get this error:  
Application error  
Rails application failed to start properly

error.log says:  
[Wed Jul 23 17:51:22 2008] [error] Premature end of script headers:  
dispatch.fcgi

I tried to run ./dispatch.fcgi (“sudo -u vu2025…” which is the owner  
of all files to make sure the user does have the rights) and it worked!  
I tried to access it via browser with Webrick and it also worked so the  
Rails application itself is definitely working.

.htaccess:  
AddHandler fcgid-script .fcgi  
Options +FollowSymLinks +ExecCGI  
RewriteRule ^$ index.html [QSA]  
RewriteRule ^([^.]+)$ $1.html [QSA]  
RewriteCond %{REQUEST\_FILENAME} !-f  
RewriteRule ^(.\*)$ dispatch.fcgi [QSA,L]

fcgid.conf:  
  
SocketPath /var/lib/apache2/fcgid/sock  
IdleTimeout 3600  
ProcessLifeTime 7200  
MaxProcessCount 8  
DefaultMinClassProcessCount 3  
DefaultMaxClassProcessCount 2  
IPCConnectTimeout 8  
IPCCommTimeout 60

apache.conf:  
\<VirtualHost 1.2.3.4:80\>  
SuexecUserGroup vu2025 vu2025  
…  
DocumentRoot /var/www/virtual/MY\_APPLICATION/new/htdocs/public  
…  
ScriptAlias /cgi-bin/ /var/www/virtual/MY\_APPLICATION/new/cgi-bin/  
\<Directory /var/www/virtual/MY\_APPLICATION/new/cgi-bin\>  
AllowOverride None  
#Options ExecCGI  
Order allow,deny  
Allow from all  
  
…  
\<Directory /var/www/virtual/MY\_APPLICATION/new/htdocs\>  
Options Indexes Includes FollowSymLinks MultiViews ExecCGI  
AllowOverride All  
Order allow,deny  
Allow from all

Any hints, ideas are appreciated!

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![cojones](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@cojones](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/cojones)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 11:06pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/premature-end-of-script-headers-dispatch-fcgi/143899/2 "2008-07-23T23:06:52Z")

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nobody? ☹

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![cojones](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@cojones](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/cojones)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 12:10pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/premature-end-of-script-headers-dispatch-fcgi/143899/3 "2008-07-24T12:10:04Z")

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Don’t you need to add “public” to Directory?  
\<Directory /var/www/virtual/MY\_APPLICATION/new/htdocs/public\>  
instead of  
\<Directory /var/www/virtual/MY\_APPLICATION/new/htdocs\>

Just guessing…

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![cojones](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@cojones](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/cojones)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 12:24pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/premature-end-of-script-headers-dispatch-fcgi/143899/4 "2008-07-24T12:24:41Z")

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Nope, doesn’t help. Anyone else any idea? I’m stumped.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![cojones](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@cojones](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/cojones)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2008, 1:47pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/premature-end-of-script-headers-dispatch-fcgi/143899/5 "2008-07-26T13:47:38Z")

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Have you tried fastcgi instead of fcgid?