php4-cgi doesn't read -c /path/to/config, php5-cgi does

Hi

This message is also in comp.lang.php, if I get an answer in any
newsgroup, i'll update the other thread.

I've got a really strange problem, and can't find out why it's not
working as intended.

in order to use php4 and 5 together on a webserver and the requirement
for running as different users, I use suexec and a wrapper script for
php files. to make it a bit clearer, i'll post the different snippets:

httpd.conf:
ScriptAlias /php-wrapper /home/httpd/phpwrapper/
AddType application/x-httpd-php-5 php
Action application/x-httpd-php-5 /php-wrapper/php5
AddType application/x-httpd-php-4 php3 php4
Action application/x-httpd-php-4 /php-wrapper/php4

resulting in using either /home/httpd/phpwrapper/php4 or
/home/httpd/phpwrapper/php5 for php files

the script for the wrappers (the checks only make sure the php.ini file
can't be modified by our customers, it should be owned by root and not
be writable):
#!/bin/sh
INI="${DOCUMENT_ROOT}/../etc/php.ini"
if [[ -s "$INI" ]] &&  [[ ! -w "$INI" ]] && [[ ! -G "$INI" ]] && [[ ! -O
"$INI" ]]
then
exec /usr/lib/php5/bin/php-cgi -c $INI ${PATH_TRANSLATED}
else
echo "Content-Type: text/plain"
echo -e "\n\n"
echo "Execution not allowed"
fi

the other wrapper is exactly the same exept it's executing the php4-cgi
binary.

suexec is already patched so it doesn't interfere with those scripts
belowing to root. (I had make some exceptions, ie for the frontpage
extensions which are now working perfectly)

now the problem itself: under php5 all works perfectly. I have a default
ini file (very restrictive) and an extra ini for the user (opening some
directories with open_basedir). same under php4, only that it doesn't
read the ini file at all. it just uses the default file, all extensions
but not the file specified by -c

paths and all are correct, and to make it even better: on the command
line the same line works perfectly (as user and as root). I tried the
same with -i for phpinfo() output.

maybe its the heat, but I can't explain why that happens. especially the
fact its working on command line is strange. the shellscript doesn't do
anything else and yet it doesn't work.

what I found out during the last hours is that php4 doesn't handle env
variables the same as php5 does. especially PATH_TRANSLATED seems to be
somehow different, I just don't get the point what these differences are
and what they change.

if anyone ever had a similar problem or maybe a hint about what to do to
solve that problem, it would be highly appreciated.

thanks alot and a nice day

Stefan

Stefan Huber wrote:
> Hi
>
> This message is also in comp.lang.php, if I get an answer in any
> newsgroup, i'll update the other thread.
>
> I've got a really strange problem, and can't find out why it's not
> working as intended.
>
> in order to use php4 and 5 together on a webserver and the requirement
> for running as different users, I use suexec and a wrapper script for
> php files. to make it a bit clearer, i'll post the different snippets:
>
> httpd.conf:
> ScriptAlias /php-wrapper /home/httpd/phpwrapper/
> AddType application/x-httpd-php-5 php
> Action application/x-httpd-php-5 /php-wrapper/php5
> AddType application/x-httpd-php-4 php3 php4
> Action application/x-httpd-php-4 /php-wrapper/php4
>
> resulting in using either /home/httpd/phpwrapper/php4 or
> /home/httpd/phpwrapper/php5 for php files
>
> the script for the wrappers (the checks only make sure the php.ini file
> can't be modified by our customers, it should be owned by root and not
> be writable):
> #!/bin/sh
> INI="${DOCUMENT_ROOT}/../etc/php.ini"
> if [[ -s "$INI" ]] &&  [[ ! -w "$INI" ]] && [[ ! -G "$INI" ]] && [[ ! -O
> "$INI" ]]
> then
>         exec /usr/lib/php5/bin/php-cgi -c $INI ${PATH_TRANSLATED}
> else
>         echo "Content-Type: text/plain"
>         echo -e "\n\n"
>         echo "Execution not allowed"
> fi
>
> the other wrapper is exactly the same exept it's executing the php4-cgi
> binary.
>
> suexec is already patched so it doesn't interfere with those scripts
> belowing to root. (I had make some exceptions, ie for the frontpage
> extensions which are now working perfectly)
>
> now the problem itself: under php5 all works perfectly. I have a default
> ini file (very restrictive) and an extra ini for the user (opening some
> directories with open_basedir). same under php4, only that it doesn't
> read the ini file at all. it just uses the default file, all extensions
> but not the file specified by -c
>
> paths and all are correct, and to make it even better: on the command
> line the same line works perfectly (as user and as root). I tried the
> same with -i for phpinfo() output.
>
> maybe its the heat, but I can't explain why that happens. especially the
> fact its working on command line is strange. the shellscript doesn't do
> anything else and yet it doesn't work.
>
> what I found out during the last hours is that php4 doesn't handle env
> variables the same as php5 does. especially PATH_TRANSLATED seems to be
> somehow different, I just don't get the point what these differences are
>  and what they change.
>
> if anyone ever had a similar problem or maybe a hint about what to do to
> solve that problem, it would be highly appreciated.
>
> thanks alot and a nice day
>
> Stefan



I found out a tiny little bit:
apache passes some env variables, 5 of them need to be unset, then it
works. but those 4 aren't useless, I think:
SCRIPT_FILENAME SERVER_NAME SERVER_SOFTWARE GATEWAY_INTERFACE REQUEST_METHOD

as soon as I let them through, cgi-php4 won't parse it's command line
options (-c especially, but anything else too)

I'll keep searching, but hoping someone could have clue whats the
problem here..

Stefan

Stefan Huber wrote:
> Stefan Huber wrote: 
>
>
>
> I found out a tiny little bit:
> apache passes some env variables, 5 of them need to be unset, then it
> works. but those 4 aren't useless, I think:
> SCRIPT_FILENAME SERVER_NAME SERVER_SOFTWARE GATEWAY_INTERFACE REQUEST_METH
OD
>
> as soon as I let them through, cgi-php4 won't parse it's command line
> options (-c especially, but anything else too)
>
> I'll keep searching, but hoping someone could have clue whats the
> problem here..
>
> Stefan

ah, I found the solution. its quite simple:
the CGI version of php4 discards any command line options, using env
variables instead. for a new ini file it's the PHPRC variable, which has
to point to a directory rather then to a file (thats what I tested and
not worked).
php5 reads all command line args and also the variables.

the simpler the problem the harder to find a solution ;-)

Stefan