My very first PHP question: register_globals

[robbbert]

Hi, welcome to my thread, and, right-on: I did do a search (reading a bunch of answers asking for that).  ;)

Now, I've installed Apache 2.0 and PHP5 on Ubuntu Linux, and would like to install OSCommerce web shop, which requires register_globals to be turned on (for the installation, at least).

I've created a directory /var/www/test, and put there two files:
test.php:
[code]<?php
echo ini_get("register_globals");
?>[/code] and .htaccess:
[code]<IfModule mod_php5.c>
php_flag register_globals on
php_flag register_long_arrays on
php_value default_charset UTF-8
</IfModule>[/code]
If it makes a difference, I've copied the .htaccess file to the /var/www directory, too.

In both /etc/php5/cgi/php.ini and /usr/share/php5/php.ini-dist, I've changed [i]the line[/i] to
[code]register_globals = On[/code]

I've restarted the Apache.

To no avail: echo ini_get("register_globals") still returns 0.

Any tips, or letters of sympathy, at last?

Thanks
Robert

[Jessica]

Why not just set it in the php.ini?

[redbullmarky]

doing it in the PHP.INI file would affect every site built on the server. applying register_globals as ON is highly unrecommended, so best to keep it to as few sites as possible...

it'd be worth having a check for other php.ini files on your server. most of the hosts i've been with tend to have it tucked in /etc/php.ini

[b]edit:[/b] failing that, in your test file, put: phpinfo() , which should reveal the path of the php.ini file that's currently being used.

[robbbert]

Thanks.

[quote author=redbullmarky link=topic=122128.msg503279#msg503279 date=1168623690]
phpinfo() , which should reveal the path of the php.ini file that's currently being used.
[/quote]

Good idea! - That's /etc/php5/apache2/php.ini, and I've set [i]register_globals = On[/i] there, too, and restarted Apache. Of course, I've also made sure the browser doesn't cache the page.

After all, ini_get("register_globals") still returns 0...

[wildteen88]

If OSCommerce requires register_globals to be on thne enable it for that script only. Don't enable it site wide. If I remember correctly OSCommerce should have an .htaccess file in the OSCommerce folder. Just edit that and add the following to it:
[code]php_flag register_globals On[/code]

OSCommerce should now work.

Also php_flag or php_value will only work if PHP is loaded as an Apache module. They will not work if PHP is running in CGI mode.

[robbbert]

[quote]OSCommerce should now work.[/quote]
I've added that line (but anything else) to <wwwroot>.htaccess, and put there a php file that only contains [i]echo ini_get("register_globals");[/i].
Unfortunately, the problem persists.
[quote]Also php_flag or php_value will only work if PHP is loaded as an Apache module.[/quote]
That's explaining why there is a //cgi/php.ini as well as a //apache2/php.ini (in both, register_globals is turned [i]on[/i]).
Moreover, PHP is loaded as Apache module: When I add [code]LoadModule php5_module /usr/lib/apache2/modules/libphp5.so[/code] to httpd.conf, Apache warns "[i]module php5_module is already loaded, skipping[/i]" when being started.

[robbbert]

This issue has been solved by adding the following line to httpd.conf:
[code]PHPIniDir /etc/php5/apache2[/code]

The location of the directory can be taken from [i]phpinfo() [/i]as mentioned before.

Thanks

[robbbert]

... while I'm still wondering why the .htaccess file doesn't work ... ???

[wildteen88]

[quote author=robbbert link=topic=122128.msg503922#msg503922 date=1168687805]
... while I'm still wondering why the .htaccess file doesn't work ... ???
[/quote]
Have you configured Apache to allow configuration overriding through .htaccess files?

Look for the following in your httpd.conf:
[code]# AllowOverride controls what directives may be placed in .htaccess files.[/code]
After that it should have the [tt]AllowOverride[/tt] directive. Post what it is currently set to here. In order for .htaccess files to override the servers configuration the [tt]AllowOverride[/tt] directive must have atleast [tt]fileInfo[/tt] listed. Otherwise Apache will ignore .htaccess files. I usually set this directive to [tt]All[/tt], eg:
[tt]    AllowOverride All[/tt]

[robbbert]

Thank you wildteen88.
I'd played with AllowOverride in apache2.conf (not httpd.conf, BTW), I'd read the Apache docs, too -- nevertheless, it's not working, yet, but good to know where to proceed.

Currently, I'm in an evaluation phase, only, (and really tired) so I'm just letting it be for now.

Thanks again