[Resolved] Disappearing header/footer bug report

[Randy]

When changing Theme from plain GeneratePress to a GP child, the site “often” or “usually” loses the header image (customizer-> site identity-> logo) and/or custom text in the footer (customizer-> layout-> footer-> copyright). Which is to say, after such a change there’s no graphic in the header, and the copyright goes back to default. Seems to me that nothing “should” be lost in such a transition, at least when it’s a GP-to-GP transition. It’s pretty consistent when I’ve had to build a new Child because a site has gone from “simple” to “more complex.” When I’m done and make the theme switch, those elements are gone.

It has happened to me several times on several different sites without theme changes, too. It’s your “favorite” kind: non-reproducible intermittent. I’ll just pop over to a site to do something, and will notice the header image is gone and footer is default. I have no idea what triggers it, but I have to stop what I was doing and fix that. Our sites need the branding to stay once it’s set….

Thanks!

[Leo]

Hi there,

Does happen to an empty child theme from here?
https://docs.generatepress.com/article/using-child-theme/

I’ve never heard this before and it sounds some sort of caching issue.

[Randy]

Hey Leo

I hand-coded my first GP child theme, and then copy over the parts I need when adding it to another site. Which is to say I unix cp to the new location, chown it, check what I need it to do, and then go into the WP back end and do the switch there.

Usually a site where I do this doesn’t have any caching plugins at that point, since it’s going into a low-traffic site (where traffic is increasing, or expected to).

The fix is easy enough: go into the customizer and re-setting the icon and footer text. That’s not too terrible when I’m in there working anyway (such as switching to a child theme), but the occasional loss of those two elements without “notice” is still an issue, as it’s there unbranded until I happen to look at the front end and go “uh oh!” (And then I fix it in the customizer.)

[Leo]

If you can somehow test it with an empty child theme I linked then that would be great!

We have not received any other reports on this so not sure if there’s anything we can fix here.

A child theme is pretty simple – it just grabs everything from the parent theme (including the customizer settings) with two extra files for CSS and functions.

[Randy]

Yep, I know it’s very simple, at least from the start. 🙂

Part of my idea in posting is in hopes if other affected users have seen this, they’ll pop in with “Me toos” (and hopefully more info that helps define the issue).

Or maybe even Tom will say “Hm, I think I know what that might be…” and poke around.

[Leo]

If you can give our child theme a shot and replicate the issue then we are happy to take a further look.

Thanks!

[Randy]

OK, I finally had to do a child theme again, so this time I went ahead and downloaded your blank template.

And indeed, switching to it results in complete removal of the header image and footer text, as I described in August.

BTW: the functions.php file has the open ( <?php ) but not the close ( ?> ).

[Leo]

And indeed, switching to it results in complete removal of the header image and footer text, as I described in August.

Does this happen when you simply activated the blank child theme?

Or have you added anything in it?

[Randy]

I added the closing php tag, since I figured it would cause an error otherwise, and some simple css. I can’t see how the css could cause it, and the customizer had no problem with adding the header and footer as per usual.

[Leo]

No need to close the php there – function.php is used to add php so it’s there by default.

Do you mind sending me the dashboard access to poke around?

Please keep all plugins disabled.

We haven’t had another report on this so we will need to do some further debugging.

Thanks!

[Randy]

It’s a live site, so no, I can’t disable all plugins. I’ve also added several functions.

I’ve seen it pretty consistently. I’m using a cPanel server on Liquidweb, if that helps any.

[David]

Hi there,

certain options such as the Logo and Copyright are saved in a theme specific database. Which is why they disappear or return to default when installing a child theme.

You will need to re-add those elements once the Child Theme is enabled.

[Randy]

If it’s something that can’t/won’t be fixed, I’d like to know all the rest of the elements in that data base so I can be sure they are all re-set!

[Leo]

Hmm in that case it would just be the elements added in the customizer.

[Randy]

So… including the layout, typography, colors, etc.? I’ve not noticed any changes there.

[Author]

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