The issue is that when developers are developing sites using a URL structure such as: http://127.0.0.1/~mysite/images/dog.jpg, timthumb does not correctly parse the folder structure and returns a broken image. In this case, a proper path might be: /home/mysite/public_html/images/dog.jpg, however timthumb creates the broken path: /home/mysite/public_html/~mysite/images/dog.jpg.

For the record, I believe timthumb is a horrible idea and should be avoided at all costs (security and performance issues). However there are many instances where you might purchase a template to find it is completely integrated with timthumb, and the amount of time it could take to remove timthumb from the template is not worth it.

How to fix

Make sure you are using the latest version of timthumb. At the moment of this writing, the version is 2.8.5

At line 209 you will find the code:

$this->src = $this->param('src');

Replace that with:

//check if tilde is found in src
if(strstr($this->param('src'),'~'))
{
   $url_parts = explode('/',$this->param('src'));

   foreach($url_parts as $url_part)
   {
      //do not include any part with a ~ when building new url
      if(!strstr($url_part,'~'))
      {
         $new_dev_url .= $url_part.'/';
      }
   }

   //remove trailing slash
   $new_dev_url = substr($new_dev_url,0,-1);

   $this->src = $new_dev_url;
}
else
{
   $this->src = $this->param('src');
}

This isn’t the most elegant solution, however the only time you should be using it is while you are developing and debugging the site (tildes should never be in the URL of a live website). Once you go live, it will automatically skip over that extra processing and work just as timthumb is intended.

Additional fix for $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT']

There might be a chance that timthumb is still not working, and that could be because $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] is not being properly defined. To get around this, we need to manually define $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] at the beginning of the document:

Above this line (line 23):

define ('VERSION', '2.8.5');

Insert the root path of your website, something like this:

$_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] = '/home/mysite/public_html/';

I hope that helps, and if it is still not working for you, I highly recommend visiting the official timthumb website and talk with the developers.

$random = substr(number_format(time() * rand(),0,'',''),0,10);

Here’s whats happening with the code:

The outer portion “substr” is used to chop down the random number we create to 10 characters. You will notice the number 10 at the end of the snippet, which can be changed to any number you want.

The “number_format” function helps get rid of the scientific notation that will arise from generating the random number. In the middle, “time()” and “rand()” are multiplied. Time() is the number of seconds from January 1 1970, and rand() is a uniquely generated number through PHP.

Always remember that generating unique numbers is not fool proof.  If your application requires each number to be unique, perform a collision check in the database before saving.

Prepare the Images

The first step is to gather together the images you wish to have randomly rotated. Change all of their file names to a numerical order, starting with the number 1.

• 1.jpg
• 2.jpg
• 3.jpg
• 4.jpg

Be sure each image has the same extension (either all jpg, png, or gif), and that there are no gaps in the numbers. Also, place these images in their own folder to keep everything organized.

Write the Code

Now in the HTML of your page, insert the following code where you want an image to display:

<img src="/path/to/<?php echo rand(1,n);?>.jpg" alt="Random Image" />

The “rand” operator will display a randomly generated number between 1 and ‘n’. Change ‘n’ to the total amount of pictures you have arranged numerically (or the highest numbered picture you have). In the example above I only have 4 pictures, therefor I would change it to: rand(1,4);

To finish it off, change ‘/path/to/’ to the path your stored the images in.

So if you are using prepared statements, I recommend staying away from 5.3 until they get everything ironed out.

Download php_apc (Windows 3.0.19 Stable)

Download php_apc (Windows 3.1.3 Beta)

For more information on APC, please visit the PECL page.