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Request #30327 --with-config-file-path option name, phpinfo() output mislead users
Submitted: 2004-10-05 06:39 UTC Modified: 2013-10-29 07:03 UTC
Votes:1
Avg. Score:5.0 ± 0.0
Reproduced:1 of 1 (100.0%)
Same Version:1 (100.0%)
Same OS:1 (100.0%)
From: gk at proliberty dot com Assigned: krakjoe (profile)
Status: Closed Package: *General Issues
PHP Version: 5.0.2 OS: Linux ; kernel 2.4.18
Private report: No CVE-ID: None
 [2004-10-05 06:39 UTC] gk at proliberty dot com
Description:
------------
Bug #26735 described this problem but was closed as 'bogus' when it is really a valid feature request (bug) which needs to be addressed. Please do not 'bogusify' this request since it could have saved me a lot of time if not closed previously.

Both the configure option ('--with-config-file-path') and the phpinfo() output ('Configuration File (php.ini) Path 	/usr/local/php5/lib/php5.ini') imply that this option refers to a 'file' when in fact it refers only to a directory - the name of the config file can ONLY be 'php.ini'. This fact is completely hidden from the user.

This could be corrected by renaming option to:
'--with-config-file-dir'
And changing phpinfo() output to:
'Configuration File (php.ini) Directory'

Oddly, php tries to read /usr/local/php5/lib/php5.ini/php.ini instead of the file reported by phpinfo(): /usr/local/php5/lib/php5.ini

strace -eopen php -r '' 2>&1 | grep ini
...
open("/usr/local/php5/lib/php5.ini/php.ini", O_RDONLY) = -1 ENOTDIR (Not a directory)


Bug #26735 said the following:

 ... the documentation (specifically ./configure --help) is unclear, as well phpinfo() is unclear as it labels the value supplied with --with-config-file-path as Configuration File (php.ini) Path, and typically Path of a file would include the filename. Request that the flag be renamed --with-config-file-dir and the corrosponding phpinfo() label be changed as well... i suspect that labels is trivial compared to making the programs obey the labels.


Reproduce code:
---------------
./configure \
....
--with-config-file-path=/usr/local/php5/lib/php5.ini;

<?php phpinfo(); ?>

Expected result:
----------------
Configuration File (php.ini) Path 	/usr/local/php5/lib/
...


Actual result:
--------------
Configuration File (php.ini) Path 	/usr/local/php5/lib/php5.ini
...

php5.ini file is NOT read


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 [2008-06-22 17:23 UTC] dominic dot clifton at gr-tech dot net
I totally agree, it's very misleading.

In older versions of php it was also even more confusing that the value changes from a directory to a file in the phpinfo() output once php actually read a file from the directory!

Show a directory in all cases, even when php has read a file.  Show the actual file that was read seperately.

It appears some work on thus bug has been addresses already:

php 5.2.6 shows this:

Configuration File (php.ini) Path => /opt/php5/etc
Loaded Configuration File => /opt/php5/etc/php.ini

however it still needs to be changed.

the configure option and the documentation needs to change from:

--with-config-file-path

to

--with-config-file-dir

then it'll be inline with:

--with-config-file-scan-dir

(feel free to support the current option for legacy reasons)


The php info output should also change from:

Configuration File (php.ini) Path => /opt/php5/etc
Loaded Configuration File => /opt/php5/etc/php.ini
Scan this dir for additional .ini files => /opt/php5/etc/conf.d 

to

Configuration File (php.ini) Directory => /opt/php5/etc
Loaded Configuration File => /opt/php5/etc/php.ini
Scan this dir for additional .ini files => /opt/php5/etc/conf.d
 [2013-10-29 07:01 UTC] krakjoe@php.net
-Status: Open +Status: Closed -Package: Feature/Change Request +Package: *General Issues -Assigned To: +Assigned To: krakjoe
 [2013-10-29 07:03 UTC] krakjoe@php.net
You have just misunderstood the option, there is no need to change anything, which will be the reason the bug was closed in the first place.
 
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