Error "Error identifying package type" when importing Moodle (.mbz) file into Canvas

Question

Hello Canvas Community,

I'm trying to migrate course content from Moodle to Canvas LMS and I'm encountering an error during the import process. I would greatly appreciate any advice or solutions you might have.

Here's the error message: Incorrect package type error: No such file or directory - file

Here are the details of my situation:

* Source LMS: Moodle (Version: 4.5)

* File to import: Moodle backup file (.mbz)

Canvas Import Steps Taken:

* Navigated to Settings within my Canvas course.

* Selected Import Course Content.

* Chose "Moodle 1.9/2.x" as the Content Type.

* Uploaded the .mbz file exported from Moodle and initiated the import.

Actions Already Performed:

I've tried the following steps, but the error persists:

* Recreated Moodle Backup:

* Recreated the backup in Moodle, specifically checking that the "Include enrolled users" option was unchecked (as this is often a suspicious setting).

* Downloaded the .mbz file from Moodle again after creating the backup.

* Checked File Name:

* Ensured the downloaded .mbz file name does not contain special characters or non-ASCII characters (e.g., Japanese). I simplified the file name to something straightforward like "course_backup.mbz" before attempting the import.

* Re-verified Canvas Content Type:

* Double-checked multiple times that "Moodle 1.9/2.x" was correctly selected as the content type in Canvas.

Any insights or suggestions would be highly appreciated! Thank you.

okawachi · Answer

Hello everyone,

We are currently encountering persistent errors with specific operations on our self-hosted Canvas LMS instance, and I would greatly appreciate any advice you can offer.

Previously, we experienced network-related errors (e.g., "This site can't be reached / Server IP address could not be found" when viewing images). However, after reviewing and correcting our domain settings, this issue has been resolved, and image display and uploading now work normally.

Despite this, we are still facing errors when attempting course content import and course copy operations.

Details of the Errors We Are Currently Experiencing:

* Error during Content (.mbz file) Import:

* Error Message: "Error identifying package type: No such file or directory - file"

* Context: When selecting an .mbz file (exported from Moodle) to initiate content import, this message appears, preventing the import. It seems either the file isn't successfully uploaded to the server, or Canvas cannot locate it.

* Error during Content (.imscc file) Import and Course Copy:

* Error Message: "There was an unexpected error, please contact support."

* Context: This generic, unexpected error occurs when trying to initiate an .imscc file import or attempting to copy an existing course. The operation fails to complete. Notably, course export operations do not result in any errors.

What We Have Checked/Confirmed So Far:

* Our Canvas LMS is running on a self-hosted server (not a cloud environment like GCP).

* Image display and uploading are currently working normally due to resolved domain settings.

* User roles and permissions are sufficient for performing these operations.

* Other Canvas functionalities, such as quizzes, generally work correctly.

Our Concerns and Request for Advice:

Given that the network issue has been resolved, but file-related import operations and course copying continue to fail, we suspect the root causes might be related to:

* Server's Storage/Filesystem Access Issues:

* Uploaded files might not be saving correctly, or the Canvas application might lack the necessary permissions to access these files.

* There could be physical storage problems, such as insufficient disk space.

* Database Connection Instability or Database-side Issues:

* Course copying and imports are database-intensive operations. Unstable connections or underlying database problems could lead to their failure.

* Server Resource Limitations:

* These operations (copying, importing) are relatively heavy, and a lack of CPU, memory, or I/O resources might be causing them to fail.

* Internal Canvas Application Issues:

* There might be a bug or corrupted configuration within specific Canvas components responsible for file processing and course management.

* Specifically for .mbz imports, the process involves Canvas interpreting and converting Moodle's unique format, and internal errors could occur at this stage.

Could you please advise on specific logs or server settings that our system administrator should focus on to pinpoint the root cause of these errors in a self-hosted environment? (e.g., web server logs, Canvas-specific logs, database logs, filesystem permissions, server resource usage, etc.)

Any guidance you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance for your time and expertise.

J_Kurosaki · Answer

Hello, (konnichiwa)

We migrated our system from Blackboard to Canvas LMS last year.

When exporting a large course containing MP4 files in Blackboard, the ZIP file could not be created properly.

We asked our system integrator to create a ZIP file for the migration.

Then we were able to import it in Canvas LMS.

I don't think there is anything wrong with your procedure, I suspect that Moodle is not creating the files properly.

I am referring to a different system, but I hope this is helpful.