PHP tries to load a config file called "/php.ini" if you don't set the 
PHPRC environment variable. This is due to a bad path composition
in php_ini.c 

The environment definition is left empty and later, there is a "/php.ini"
tacked on unconditionally. This may lead to undesired behaviour if root
has its home not in /root but in / (as with some older OS).

Patch attached.

--- php-4.0.4pl1/main/php_ini.c.orig    Thu Feb 22 17:55:44 2001
+++ php-4.0.4pl1/main/php_ini.c Thu Feb 22 17:56:28 2001
@@ -191,10 +191,14 @@
 
                if (!php_ini_path) {
 #ifdef PHP_WIN32
-                       sprintf(php_ini_search_path,".;%s;%s",env_location,default_location);
+                 const char delim = ';';
 #else
-                       sprintf(php_ini_search_path,".:%s:%s",env_location,default_location);
+                 const char delim = ':';
 #endif
+                 if(*env_location)
+                       sprintf(php_ini_search_path,".%c%s%c%s",delim, env_location,delim, default_location);
+                 else
+                       sprintf(php_ini_search_path,".%c%s",delim, default_location);
                } else {
                        /* if path was set via -c flag, only look there */
                        strcpy(php_ini_search_path,default_location);