php.ini end user config

[gr8support]

It would really be nice to have a feature where end users are able to edit php config to suit their needs?

[monarobase]

They can do this with suphp by directly editing their php.ini file, if their host allows it.

For hosts that allow their clients to change their php.ini file, it would be good to have a user interface in cPanel that allows them to change the values without having to play with the actual file.

It would actually be wonderful if a root WHM user could specify for each account if they can modify their php.ini file or not and be able to edit it for them via WHM or cPanel.

You can achieve this manually by putting the php.ini outside the users home directory. I think this would envolve quite a bit of work but a system that would create a php.ini file based on the servers one and then allow users to change maybe only certain parts of it would be great.

[cPanelDavidG]

From a practical standpoint, a web host wouldn't necessarily want all users to edit all PHP.ini settings (e.g. setting the memory limits to match the amount of physical RAM on the box). So which settings should be customizable vs. which shouldn't be customizable by the cPanel user?

[monarobase]

We would like to be able to set maximum values for limits and allow our clients to set their own limits while staying below the maximum limits.

Limits we would like to be able to set a maximum value but have a default lower value :
Execution time, Memory limits, Upload file size limits, Post and Request limits.

We would also like to be able to set some default disabled functions and say which ones are allowed to be enabled.

We would also like to be able to set limits ourselves (WHM root) on a package basis and on individual accounts.

[Infopro]

From a practical standpoint, a web host wouldn't necessarily want all users to edit all PHP.ini settings (e.g. setting the memory limits to match the amount of physical RAM on the box). So which settings should be customizable vs. which shouldn't be customizable by the cPanel user?

I'd be interested in the answer to that as well. Do we vote the top 5 most popular "I need to change this" settings to add those to the end user interface for editing? What if the one I want is not listed there, maybe an editor to edit the file directly, or better, a link to the file which opens File Manager editor?


Can upload_max_filesize limits be set to only one account?

[cPanelTristan]

The issue with this option is that the PHP handler determines if the user can edit a php.ini file on the account.

Under suPHP, unless [phprc_paths] directives are uncommented, individual users can have their own php.ini values. However, you must copy the full /usr/local/lib/php.ini file to the user's account in order to maintain all settings. If you do not, then extensions such as IonCube Loader, Zend Optimizer / Zend Guard, pdo, etc. are stripped.

Next, php.ini files can be set at each level of the user's /home/username upward unless suPHP_ConfigPath is set.

These are only the options that impact php.ini file handling for suPHP. For DSO, you cannot have your own php.ini file and instead set php_value and php_flag variables in the individual .htaccess file.

For CGI and FCGI, individual php.ini files aren't able to be used by default but can be set to be used with the steps noted in this thread:

http://forums.cpanel.net/f5/individu...gi-160398.html

Personally, I believe this feature request is simply too complicated to implement due to the vast differences in the PHP handlers. The only viable way to do it would be only to support this for suPHP, detect if suPHP is running as the handler and allow the options.

[Infopro]

Personally, I believe this feature request is simply too complicated to implement...

I agree with this assessment.

[cPanelDavidG]

We would like to be able to set maximum values for limits and allow our clients to set their own limits while staying below the maximum limits.

Limits we would like to be able to set a maximum value but have a default lower value :
Execution time, Memory limits, Upload file size limits, Post and Request limits.

Why not just set the limits as high as you're willing to allow to begin with?

We would also like to be able to set some default disabled functions and say which ones are allowed to be enabled.

Then what's the point of disabling the functions? Often I see this done as a "save the hosting customer from themselves" type of measure.

We would also like to be able to set limits ourselves (WHM root) on a package basis and on individual accounts.

Keep in mind, the more complex a feature request is for us to implement, the more justification I need to present to the developers to justify that amount of resources being invested into a project.

[monarobase]

Why not just set the limits as high as you're willing to allow to begin with?

Here is an example :

For the moment users cannot stop their own processes, if they run a scripts that never stops while using up all their resources and removes the time limit or if we set a high max execution time limit, their script wont stop running until we manually stop it. If they have to manually increase this limit in cPanel and cannot do it directly via FTP, this could help site administrators help protect themselves against bad developers.

If I'm not mistaken, it is possible to specify a php.ini file for suPHP users, outside their home directory.

Maybe the cPanel user php.ini modify php.ini limits could come afterwards if this is accepted.

As for fastcgi limits, we only use fastcgi when there is a small number of accounts on a server. In which case increasing limits for the whole server is not such a problem.

Then what's the point of disabling the functions? Often I see this done as a "save the hosting customer from themselves" type of measure.

To help prevent against hackers… at the moment we allow most functions as their are scripts that need them. If users could allow them only when they encounter an error it would allow most accounts to be secure. Function like show_source are generally not necessary.

Keep in mind, the more complex a feature request is for us to implement, the more justification I need to present to the developers to justify that amount of resources being invested into a project.

For our personal needs, the ability to set Suphp's php.ini files in WHM on a per account basis would do fine. The actual ability for users to manage their own limits would be great but if we have to choose then it would be the ability to duplicate the main php.ini file for an account and edit it easily for root user.

[monarobase]

Now we run with cloudlinux, I have been looking through the default limits in our php.ini file and we are now thinking about deactivating the php.ini file limit and allowing our users to edit their own php.ini

However this comes with a few problems.

1) Users do not understand how this works and do not like editing configuration files
2) Users do not understand that they need a complete php.ini file and not just a couple of lines

My idea is to have a php.ini editor directly in cPanel that would allow users to edit their main values, and that would allow us root users to configure the template.

Simple editor and advanced editor would both be required while a simple editor would be enough to begin with.

The limits our users would like to be able to set are :

1) Memory per script limit
2) Max execution time
3) Upload file size limit
4) Form max requests

The editor would also need to be able to adapt suhosin limits when they do almost the same as php's default settings.

What would be great would be to have the ability to check for a line in all users php.ini files and add it automatically if it didn't exist before.

You already manage .htaccess files from cPanel, why not php.ini ones too ?

[cPanelTristan]

There was already a feature request concerning this that you were involved in recently:

php.ini end user config

Is there a reason these points were not simply noted into that existing feature request? Would you like me to move this post into that existing feature request?

[monarobase]

Sorry, yes, I had forgotten that it was me who oriented the conversation of the other topic to the ability to limit what users could set in php.ini, I thought the older topic was about letting them change but being able to limit what they can change.

Our needs have changed and now we are just looking for a way to allow beginner users to modify their php.ini limits.

If you think that both topics are too similar, then please go ahead and merge them !

[ultimatehosting]

Would be nice to see an implementation of a feature where users are allowed to modify/set required php.ini values on their own.

[monarobase]

I believe there is already a similar feature request. However I would still like to add the following reflection :

1) This would only be for Fast CGI / SuPhp or any other modes that are compatible with individual php.ini files
2) We would like to have the php.ini outside the main web directory (if possible)
3) If technicaly possible we would like the php.ini file not to be manually editable (file ower set do different user to php user and chmoded to read only…)
4) If #3 is possible, we would like to have a php.ini editor and to be able to sepecify the values that can be edited and also specify maximum values.
5) The PHP Editor would create the php.ini file based on the current php.ini file with the current php.ini options.
6) For each option / module in the main php.ini file, we would like users to be able to deactivate them (check box or dropdown). This would allow users to make their instance of PHP lighter.

Why ?

Users do not always understand that you have to duplicate the main php.ini file and some only put the values they want changed.

If it is techncaly possible to not allow the user to edit the php.ini file itself this would allow hosts to set maximum values for memory limits, execution times and enforce disabled functions.

[cPanelDavidG]

What are common values that individual users need to change themselves that is preventing you from having a single php.ini that accommodates the needs of all/most customers on a single server?