MySQL server has gone away

The error MySQL server has gone away is a bad configuration setting on the server. The first work-around that can be tried is the following:

1. Open the file administrator/components/com_csvivirtuemart/csvivirtuemart.php
2. Find line 13 where the following code is:
   

   defined( '_JEXEC' ) or die( 'Direct Access to this location is not allowed.' );

   // Load the logger
   require_once (JPATH_COMPONENT_ADMINISTRATOR.'/helpers/log.php');

3. Change this to read:
   

   defined( '_JEXEC' ) or die( 'Direct Access to this location is not allowed.' );
   
   ini_set('mysql.connect_timeout', 300);
   ini_set('default_socket_timeout', 300);
   
   // Load the logger
   require_once (JPATH_COMPONENT_ADMINISTRATOR.'/helpers/log.php');

4. Save the file

A second work-around to try is the following (this is a Joomla core hack !):

1. Open the file administrator/index.php
2. Find line 14 where the following code is:
   

   // Set flag that this is a parent file
   define( '_JEXEC', 1 );

   define('JPATH_BASE', dirname(__FILE__) );

3. Change this to read:
   

   // Set flag that this is a parent file
   define( '_JEXEC', 1 );

   ini_set('mysql.connect_timeout', 300);
   ini_set('default_socket_timeout', 300);

   define('JPATH_BASE', dirname(__FILE__) );

4. Save the file