Tutor Dev Install (v19.0.2, Sumac): CMS Signup Button Redirects to localhost:18000, with 'Unable to Connect' Error

Development
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Hello Open edX Community,

I am setting up a development environment using Tutor version 19.0.2, following the official documentation at https://docs.tutor.edly.io/, specifically the section on “Running open edX in development”. I have tested this issue with both the open-release/sumac.master and open-release/sumac.2, branches/tag of the Open edX platform.

I installed Tutor in a Python virtual environment(python -m venv tutor-venv). I have successfully started the environment, and I can access the LMS at http://local.openedx.io:8000 and the CMS at http://studio.local.openedx.io:8001. Both sites load successfully.

Importantly, I am able to register a new user successfully via the LMS interface. I was also able to create staff and superuser accounts using the tutor dev do createuser ... command. I can log in successfully as both regular registered users and the admin/staff users.

The Issue:

My problem is when I attempt to use the “Sign Up” button located on the CMS login page . Clicking this button redirects my browser to http://localhost:18000. This URL then displays an error ‘Unable to connect’ message, preventing users from signing up via the link provided on the CMS.

Contextual Observation:

I looked into the edx-platform codebase and noted that in the cms/envs/common.py file, the variables LMS_BASE and LMS_ROOT_URL are defined as localhost:18000. While I understand these variables are used internally by the CMS to refer to the LMS( and please correct me if this understanding is incorrect,), it seems like the “Sign Up” link on the CMS login page is incorrectly using this internal localhost:18000 value for the external redirect, instead of the actual, accessible LMS URL.

Steps Taken:

  • Followed Tutor documentation for development setup via virtual environment(tutor version 19.0.2).
  • Used Tutor to set up an Open edX development environment, testing with open-release/sumac.master and open-release/sumac.2
  • Launch the development environment (e.g., using tutor dev launch).
  • Accessed the CMS url.
  • Clicked the “Sign Up” button on the CMS login page.

Observed Behavior:

The browser redirects to http://localhost:18000, which shows an error ‘Unable to connect’.

Expected Behavior:

I expected to be redirected to the user registration page on the LMS at :8000/register to create a new account.

Request for Help:

Has anyone encountered this specific redirect issue with Tutor 19.0.2 and the Sumac release where the CMS signup link points to localhost:18000 instead of the configured LMS URL (of port :8000)? Given that LMS registration and user logins otherwise work, it seems specific to this CMS-initiated signup redirect. Is there a configuration setting within Tutor or Open edX that controls this specific redirect URL for the CMS signup button that I might need to adjust, particularly in a development context using these versions? Or is this a known behavior/issue? Any guidance on how to fix this redirect would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance for any guidance or assistance!

2

Hi @teklu.
Yes, you can configure these settings. They are defined in the common.py file (LMS_ROOT_URL, LMS_BASE):

I think you can override them by setting your own values in the config.yml file using this command:

tutor config save --set CMS_ENV_EXTRA='{"LMS_ROOT_URL": "http://local.openedx.io:8000", "LMS_BASE": "http://local.openedx.io:8000"}'
tutor dev restart cms

Also, I think you can verify the configuration using the Django shell:

tutor dev run cms ./manage.py lms shell
>>> from django.conf import settings
>>> settings.LMS_ROOT_URL
>>> settings.LMS_BASE

In any case, you should give it a try.

3

thank you for your response, i will get back after testing your suggestion.

4

Hi Abylaikhan,

I tried by setting LMS_BASE and LMS_ROOT_URL.
and i checked the config.yml file and it was set as

CMS_ENV_EXTRA:
  LMS_BASE: http://local.openedx.io:8000
  LMS_ROOT_URL: http://local.openedx.io:8000

and got same error, i tried to post the screen shot of the error pages but the platform doesn’t allow me. but this is the url that redirect me after clicking signup button
http://localhost:18000/register?next=http%3A%2F%2Flocalhost%3A8001%2Flogin%2F,

do i have to set the LMS_BASE and LMS_ROOT_URL, since in the common.py
LMS_ROOT_URL = ‘http://’ + LMS_BASE,

and i verify using the django code you provided and got the response
In [2]: settings.LMS_ROOT_URL
Out[2]: ‘http://local.openedx.io:8000’

In [3]: settings.LMS_BASE
Out[3]: ‘local.openedx.io:8000’
which verify the setting is correct