I have had this problem intermittently with a few D6 installations, and had a few clients remark on it. It seems to be very random and temporary.

The home page of the site in question just shows up as a blank white page full of weird ASCII and unknown characters. This is NOT the normal page. Here is a screenshot:
Screenshot of screwyness

The weird thing is that I haven't done anything to the site AND when you go to the front page directly, it shows up properly:
http://www.oilandgasinvest.com/front-page

As I mentioned, this is not specific to this site as I have seen it before... and I have not been able to find any reference to this. I am using Hostgator with PHP5, D6.10 and MySQL....

HELP!

Here is the code when I view source:

��������=�r9��VD��f�-�
�(d'����2�7�o�v�ͽ�=������n�X/S��5��#�9�,K7���h�-5�7O_5/K��W� ��e�әۢJ.�0��5��a���mG��,u���^g���,�B�9B&b�����Rg슝%;IT&B6H��t3��8�,�B�@p'*I�����+�d&6�����b����I��,��ang�m���nw�<���9�Y�k���qZ��e��n?e�P(-��<�u�c��"�ێ��c�ì�� �Yb���ڤ��f~c� jD��$f�B��n�T�I� �R���wxS=?�7C�$sE|cS�x����Y��\dE�G�2ݘ;[��a��'�m ^�%�)�P�D�>����\�G��t�aP,����=�b���������I=���&�P�B,�\��4S��OA|�^������V���d�6�'/I&�k��v4�+��)XD�i�*�/�����F�Iu�V���A&uӓ��Y3�~����¦i��Ng���
� >��w5ԭd���lJ=�*���mG��o�J��:�,7���r{ei�ko�W�-n, oyq}i]��,�o4��흩�n������Xtݍ�`���j�D_�
䚷��8��黫���9hr�;[�����s��[���Ĺ�?�R��!co~O��xp�����-OD6t6��t��'�J�p���t(�)�癟� $�l�!(�,���%�8L�W���vhň�Y��J�J\W�����J^ʫAxq��+������ѿz���t~�j�
~=������\��T_����ٕ�
�}��g�(C�*�̮F���.�.C}�� u�?�]J�0<���"��T(4����ɻ���`�n�zy�K"PG��ѡ,i~��2P�����Tㆉ�Xd��@~�h!�>�\.Qb��&�o$~`��=%�� �]��EqVb&DMF0���(jw _������}�ɾws�*��Z�����Q�;��0�+�[ݍ�"yO�"���S�4�)�x~��.��y��x��O����y�5�C�E���Sh/���� �P�oP�~����c��5%Q�nRG��Q�
;��[0�;�罪��*�m�gn;
�����m�����Wh]{A���^��C�7��4'�Rդ�͚M�Y�j���P@A�7��Y�ޡ��f��ޡ�{��wh�뾇���6��Q U
�L��X)?�4�R&~R��T|h@��?�[I�-�u��>6��v�v�Nwu����o�>[����+`��X���$����oD�U ݆�D�4�7�ys�G�B6]���zD�
H�ӅTh�WZ�?��/n;�k� ���m��>7����`���a"�x�q�E G��@����w�Q��
%"�� ��a��H�����ϡ�l\BSj��}7 U�Ӏ�շ@�yYp B��u�Fи,�4֐m�ݔ�Q_z��(��l�mc�m٤I�Oc���-5$7�L�i��6/y�hN�uX�~���r*�$~��K0i(�0����V��j�m�\�U��u�W��ְ]M��@(
�A��m�Wة�;���3l���V�Ͱ�G`j4���Y,.P]�a� TF#
m[�V�!TO`�@K� �s�OU��.��0�R ��v�W��?س�D���U(��c�
6�2�$a@7�\FI<��uҨ�2�;�9Su^˾cř��»�h_��q�[�R�T\���hu#�kI5��mn���\^�C�l��n�:U�T�sfdC.�r�}^V
?�ϟ4{2,H��i��΍\B$L0wǦ� 2h��^�T���v*��ʚyؙ�iKkSk=��r6�>�$�f� �Q����� 5��b�o�����0̺�Q8�H�^�SVdXjsZ(��*Z�
�(r����ЃM���5��I�˨��y ơv� �*
�?AӁ��C1��H7q^�s��\ƾ�9��-p�tz4��~+(ч���Ɉ���0�n�G����]�r[`�����k��PA�
��u���I+&3��t�#hm%������sR[����ϑC�0�`�G �f#��b7�=ɢ �8�F�f�s��s3ŗI��ds��
Z��e�����w�z��[��k��t�8�"���
�d���g�Onð;��%ɾ% �t�_�J{l]��}���ۃ��}b0Z5D�`��;��H����b�\�
�R]��h�F�5�օ1I={ &gV�O���(�G��/��jV�97b�l�.~,�|-��]��6�?��&�j���b%�?{���Uo�9����:�j~՚ǚ�Z+�Bz���F){��$�;�u� �A�����fp�F�#H���+)qA"����H����x+6�}�jl�Ub��.D>紘����$�!Ԇhc�rj���O I�<˒G��T
�ѻ&B��4=7��>��~l���[�P,g�;����>��?dɈ=ϳ\I��P��0 ����g&��CSt6t�1"�/�f�t"�&HC���Z��0t�}�iM"��ŕ2�]�i�&yz6�,��GcN�4�hvdW�J�+��|r�Ե��,����T�+_�'��hf��qM(�&_I/�:�y�9v�vs&�37�ia��H�>_YZ[_j��V�V�kH㧕�Dz( ��d�H_\�J7+���.!�b�jl fc�h�a*���-����ՙ��^^Z^޹��c�s�7�G��7Bb[0�E�fssE�Yo��--M2��l �ߐ��M��E�[���MK+N� o�aj��سSgf��rq�t�Ҵ
X��S�����ļ��֋an�'qc>��L� �i���J@�٩TQi���͔�����m���ͣ����u�O���8e���\��N�oV�U�h��?�&k��� ���hd��i��R�Z��*wA8^`q�ь M�`i��1ܞ�SLxy7ؑ((?&V�K��
*���)�g�qO3~{�:?a�"��J%J��`IC M�~�
��|�v�f��ڋ�Ђ�qo�x�|muJ6
hZ�0�Ҩ!IM�B� �iE�x&���&�^�q��)g�&'&�����2����t�I����1�n���p���\������#�)�a4�~�TuJqj��XW���N��Qe���@b7�Mo(;.@:�/k&hF7S,�
�L�w� ���f�f̦Q�s���ԁi�m�\0��U��=�E�2q�&�jvF(��r��i���%2��$7ԮB�%J.������4G�Ps�(����x���>��ʐ�spĥ}P�
h��.PK��-��E��I6��@_j�A½Lg�仉G��1�3C�=�K�d�k�p��'��x�$��&�m�K�K
37�]~Vk��J���̂J���‴�����`[ ��Q)�9%�.+6��w5ў�p�Mh�[��.������0��A���^�}7��5�������f޽�{:�Xk���xkc�y�VWG���8Pb��Vk�)A�$*!��C�BT&��ߊs�`��d��&{V���.lҙ����1�(_��]���:����Fz���
���!Aqr�@j�m���<����j-m<�d�9۱ �[��� ����8J��<�p���,L�s��`���zH�Ey@f��i��g�η�`p��������A������);8>���v^vw���1�����Uw����
�����y��,�'�S�I-r/ �I�,�3`�p����~�q���&�r�?��tzF�ʀ�[H� @n�e�b�ddD�� 8� �#\����A�@@D�����(J�l����
�S�'�mγ!ζxX��ӄ�f�
4��{�
=��[1��������� 6�ܢ�\���\�i�܁a�f#�=���"v�90��a�Z�ň`���Q��C�H�7�����]�oW�|�N�Dq�I���U�1��c�l@""�_��ya!Y �{L�i�l��ޡ�E�� *��8�G"(BH�n�~���s9��3r�G����P^���ϝ�O\9u��v�L!��`��0F�X�1���ALj9C;���'�N"��HG�x2�!���i��|���i���$6�O{C,���hXD�@���A�vTt��6�`J�XFA&*)>.�*� �N
�a��hFi\6M��T>xm��=GL�1�4$;���.ab;v����v ��Y�닔��\V�|.V�2S ��X@���G`�����J����H¬B�u�N�.����^�+��v�~\�h�q
��'%օ�D�W��}~��q��| X4�Q�a&9+���.�9�ݣ��]Tn���H� �@���pf��Afj�?.%�f.ڟ���gx��#�L(rўcy�X�r\���@�� ė�}~�G�2����E�G�� q$ј�k�9��#�T�#[d%�3�f�1x`�<%_n��X%�p
��D%rљ� R�i��>5�(�Z7�<\���dz�v�X�N��r�g�g��u͂Q���fu ;�ۃ��]�(�{2���⑎� $�OP4ۃB�g�87kx@h*|o�튄up5�^ A:��vCX�b@;���fO"#��c�g@�25��[NǺ��
�n���3
�3��
T�����`����3���l��8�U���Ppy#�O���Sb�m2�c@�@;+ ��0vH��M8A���`�c���)K�j!�?��9�L��2/<���*��|�%~��|��s�A��Yb?���4��w䙁A�����
���ȱ���?^Ҝ�r��r���1�Aq�0a�~QAF�`e���!�O‡q^O��",玗Wx�n,g��2����oS�č��/�4.������Ø��J-R)��ЂV =)S z��|� 8�xs7��F"s�Ng�-� e�_�f��>�A�_ϐ�s����U�osL�R��
���!]�C�m���tOJ����l�A۫��~n3�f]�vqz�F�0�`z�AD�1g�y*��b�_u2��5R'�4�L\�4q�<��L)��D�z���B� RvZ �RvH��Y���;
���9�4�!z>����0�*��O�B��)J�xD /ˈ$�C0f6(��9��!�e����?Q-#����<����8!�Ѱ�<��dM�G�c�����G8�q����p&�;�����Jm�(������>Jb�Y!�ŝ|�"(�"?��:��.E �Q��)�pѽ����໽��IG:s�f�4�
��8ҍ9����ܗ��y�Rxq����}�S�N��T?��Zl��^��&��k�l-���c�����P��z��B9��_����F��k��[#��H9���kw!�*�O���-��t��W|�O�iNJT��i�w��c�[}Śt�&��[cW����z�3��+x�/�<)���
�t@՞"�c��{��U�i/&�d�d&����$�k��v6�L����z#��szD����IW4�QF�G�d�O�_�;�Z��#�]j��̡ȩ��z�<л���h�ncgx����4��P3���@�����=[�!�R͐�q|��wJټkA1B��y6����F����� Mp��N��!���զ�d��=�hڰ�P� /L�2��:=@�N�=�\b�S��Gn:�������N��:K�4�;1�`����Lb��̴σ���I��}��,�iS%������Q
�����0��0H����|�C>��=�}kH���g�ak���A?cs�4R��� bm{�zjvp��0�� �?��P�=dn�i�W��s��Ap�h��:��k*�g��˱�R�1�qA=�[�sz���{Nhݘ������߀} �!*x�2�s� ������m)i��R���B+�v���b��/��J<LN* �gK�B�����1g��z9��"����P0�=���#�6�>���p��$�-����X;�hM�}�`$}x5��b����B��C���E�+tV����N��Z��j����2����^'�����"q������;�ٶ?��p;@��{�)u%*�,H��A����e0 eQD�9�@W6���iƋG̜ק���Hf����cY40*CŒDŋ뮧.R�
j m�Wt&׏̱�P�%]�_)�t��9}; �S�^�P^ӎ�����O3�
��o�-�T��t�C蟸���xsO{q�x��0�f�al��,�����������Y{����D;�%�=fn�w_֐����M�8�W0U:OMxGU!Lz��J>x��=����I��D2�^T2�&���<�{P�};T�0U�^����o�+�m��Q���r��fY�

Comments

rlnorthcutt’s picture

I was told in the IRC channel that this was double compression (which is kind of what I thought) and I cleared the cache to fix it... the question now remains "Why did it happen?"

How can I keep it from happening again?

regards,
Ron Northcutt
Directory of Technical Marketing, Acquia

c960657’s picture

You may be experiencing this issue: #43462: cache_set and cache_get base_url brokenosity