PHP Sessions drop/reset when a hyperlink to a site page is clicked

[riT-k0MA]

Hi.

 

The site I'm trying to sort out is hosted on a Linux webserver running Apache version 1.3.34, PHP version 4.4.4-8 and MySQL version 5.0.32.

 

I built the site on my own PC, running WinXP Pro, Abyss version 2.6.0.0, PHP version 5.2.0 and the same mySQL instance as the webhost, version 5.0.32.

 

I coded the site and it worked perfectly as localhost. I changed the hyperlinks to what they should be on the webserver and uploaded it.

 

One has to enter the site through a PHP-based login screen. The login page calls up the Welcome Page, which checks a mySQL DB for the username and password, validates it, then queries the same DB for some other fields. The Welcome Page then shows some links, menu-style, based on what the user's access privellages are.

 

Every page has a session_start() at the top, before any other code.

 

The problem I'm having is that the session seems to reset (The session ID is different) everytime the user clicks on a hyperlink.

(It never does, or did, on my computer, whether on localhost or webhost.)

I've tried this on three other computers, and all three do the same thing.

 

I was wondering if it was the way I'd structured my website:

 

    Main

    |_ Login.php

    |_ Welcome.php

    |_ menu.php

    |_ Logout.php

    |_ Users

    |  |_ UserPage1.php

    |  |_ UserPage2.php

    |  |_ UserPage3.php

    |  |_ Functions

    |      |_UserFunction1.php

    |      |_UserFunction2.php

    |_ FAQ

    |  |_ FaqPage1.php

    |  |_ FaqPage2.php

    |  |_ FaqPage3.php

    |  |_ Functions

    |      |_FaqFunction1.php

    |      |_FaqFunction2.php

etc.

 

Each page in the site calls the menu.php in the site root. Each hyperlink in the menu starts from the root (/usr/htdocs/main/Users/Page.php). It was the only way I could get the hyperlinks to work.

Could this be what's terminating the session?

 

or is it a problem with different PHP versions?

If it is different PHP versions, why does it work perfectly on my PC?

 

Hours of googling yesterday got me absolutely nowhere.

 

I would really appreciate any sort of clue as to why this is happening. Even if you only have a small hunch or gut-feel, it'd be more than I've got.

 

Thanks an epic amount in advance

riT-k0MA

 

PS: If you need some code to test this out, I'll have to make some for you. I can't show any of my actual code due to one of those hated Contractual clauses.

[PFMaBiSmAd]

What does a phpinfo() statement show for session.cookie_path and session.cookie_domain and do the URL's consistently use www.yourdomain.com or yourdomain.com and not a mix or www. and no-www.?

 

For debugging, add the following two lines immediately after your first opening <?php tag on your main pages (the pages in the URL) -

 

ini_set ("display_errors", "1");
error_reporting(E_ALL);

 

 

 

[riT-k0MA]

Hi. Thanks for replying.

 

session.cookie_path = "/"

session.cookie_domain has no value. I am unable to change any configurations as the hosting company does not want them changed for security reasons.

 

Every hyperlink in the menu uses a path similar to "/usr/htdocs/main/Users/Page.php"

 

I added that code you suggested and got the following error:

"

Notice: A session had already been started - ignoring session_start() in /usr/www/<deleted>/Menu.php on line 3

"

 

Tried using this:

if (isset($_SESSION['SessionUserID']))
{
	//do nothing
} 
else 
{
	echo"Starting Session <br />";
	session_start();
}

 

and got:

"

Warning: session_start() [function.session-start]: Cannot send session cache limiter - headers already sent (output started at /usr/www/<Deleted>/Welcome.php:9) in /usr/www/<Deleted>/Welcome.php on line 10

"

 

So I tried disabling the Session_start() on each page but the Welcome Page and got:

"

Notice: Undefined variable: _SESSION in /usr/www/users/vector/VectorTechBETA/VectorLogin/Functions/EditUserBody.php on line 6

"

 

Either I'm a total frikking idiot, am missing a brain and need to be beat about the head with a cluestick, or there's an error in this.

 

I'm hoping it's the former. Brainless Idiots can be cured

[PFMaBiSmAd]

Every hyperlink in the menu uses a path similar to "/usr/htdocs/main/Users/Page.php"

That is a server file system path and it has no meaning when used in a URL. URL's of pages are requested by the browser and they are either absolute - http://www.yourdomain.com/your_path/your_file.ext or they are relative to the current URL - some_path/your_file.ext or relative to your document root folder - /your_path/your_file.ext

 

Fix your links first or post an actual example of what your menu looks like.

 

You can set the session cookie parameters anywhere you want, even in your script - http://us.php.net/manual/en/function.session-set-cookie-params.php, though the current settings would work as long as you are not switching between www. and no www. on your URL's which you did not bother to answer.

[riT-k0MA]

Ooops! I mixed my links up 

 

Each file calls (Requires) the Menu.php, the path to which is something like /usr/htdocs/main/Users/Page.php.

 

Each hyperlink is, in fact, http://www.site/folder/file.php based.

 

 

Sorry for the mixup

[riT-k0MA]

Sorry for the long time it took me to reply. I've been on sickleave for the last few days, which could also explain why my last post was a bit muddled. 

 

Every menu link uses the following formula:  http://www.site/folder/file.php

Every Require() statement uses the following formula: /usr/htdocs/main/Users/Page.php.

 

I have not mixed www. and no www.

 

Should I use the full path (http://.....) for my Includes Requires?