apache php cgi install problem

**Erwin Moller** · Feb 22 '06, 11:45 AM

Re: apache php cgi install problem

Joseph S. wrote:
[color=blue]
> Hi,
> I am trying to install PHP 5.0.4 on Apache 2.0.54 on WinXP Pro SP2 as a
> cgi binary.
>
> Apache2 directory is c:/Apache2
> htdocs is c:/Apache2/htdocs
>
> php is installed in c:/php
> This contains php.ini, php-cgi.exe and php5ts.dll and other files
> required for the module method of php installation are also present,
> but i think additional files being present should not cause any problem
>
> Directory containing php scripts is C:/Apache2/htdocs/php
>
> My httpd.conf file has
>
> #----------------------------------------------------------
> ScriptAlias /php/ "C:/Apache2/htdocs/php/"
> AddType application/x-httpd-php .php
> Action application/x-httpd-php "C:/php/php-cgi.exe"
> #ScriptAliasMat ch ^/php(.*) C:/Apache2/htdocs/php$1
> #----------------------------------------------------------
>
> I get the error
> [Wed Feb 22 15:01:18 2006] [error] [client 127.0.0.1]
> C:/Apache2/htdocs/php/index.php is not executable; ensure interpreted
> scripts have "#!" first line
> [Wed Feb 22 15:01:18 2006] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] (9)Bad file
> descriptor: don't know how to spawn child process:
> C:/Apache2/htdocs/php/index.php
>
> in the Apache error log.
>
> What could be the error?
>
> I have no experience in CGI - I only know it stands for Common Gateway
> Interface - is there something needed to be read up first?
>
> I assume when run in CGI mode, whatever you put in your "cgi" diectory
> (here it is c:/Apache2/htdocs/php) it will be treated as a script.
> Because if I try http://localhost/php/file.htm it still gives the same
> error.
>
> Also, if I put #! on the first line I get
> [Wed Feb 22 15:33:45 2006] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] (OS 2)The system
> cannot find the file specified. : couldn't create child process:
> 720002: index.php
> [Wed Feb 22 15:33:45 2006] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] (OS 2)The system
> cannot find the file specified. : couldn't spawn child process:
> C:/Apache2/htdocs/php/index.php
> or
> [Wed Feb 22 15:36:18 2006] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] (OS 193)%1 is not
> a valid Win32 application. : couldn't create child process: 720193:
> index.php
> [Wed Feb 22 15:36:18 2006] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] (OS 193)%1 is not
> a valid Win32 application. : couldn't spawn child process:
> C:/Apache2/htdocs/php/index.php
>
> Any suggested readings?
> I've googled the web and Google Groups but not able to get anything
> newer than what i know so far.
>
> TIA,
> JS.[/color]

Hi,

Well, I don't use XP, but did you read this?

http://nl2.php.net/manual/en/install.windows.apache2.php

Regards,
Erwin Moller

**Christopher Pettet** · Feb 22 '06, 01:55 PM

Re: apache php cgi install problem

Have you done a PHPInfo? If you can't get this to work then you haven't
installed php correctly.

Create a page simply put this in it...

<?phpinfo();? >

Save the page to your root remembering to give it the php extension. I call
mine phpinfo.php. Once you've done that, see if you can access the page. I
personally prefer to use the isapi version of php (php5isapi.dll,
php5apache2.dll in your case) as this is loaded at the start rather than on
demand.

"Joseph S." <js_dev@rediffm ail.com> wrote in message
news:1140602755 .136247.74340@o 13g2000cwo.goog legroups.com...[color=blue]
> Hi,
> I am trying to install PHP 5.0.4 on Apache 2.0.54 on WinXP Pro SP2 as a
> cgi binary.
>
> Apache2 directory is c:/Apache2
> htdocs is c:/Apache2/htdocs
>
> php is installed in c:/php
> This contains php.ini, php-cgi.exe and php5ts.dll and other files
> required for the module method of php installation are also present,
> but i think additional files being present should not cause any problem
>
> Directory containing php scripts is C:/Apache2/htdocs/php
>
> My httpd.conf file has
>
> #----------------------------------------------------------
> ScriptAlias /php/ "C:/Apache2/htdocs/php/"
> AddType application/x-httpd-php .php
> Action application/x-httpd-php "C:/php/php-cgi.exe"
> #ScriptAliasMat ch ^/php(.*) C:/Apache2/htdocs/php$1
> #----------------------------------------------------------
>
> I get the error
> [Wed Feb 22 15:01:18 2006] [error] [client 127.0.0.1]
> C:/Apache2/htdocs/php/index.php is not executable; ensure interpreted
> scripts have "#!" first line
> [Wed Feb 22 15:01:18 2006] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] (9)Bad file
> descriptor: don't know how to spawn child process:
> C:/Apache2/htdocs/php/index.php
>
> in the Apache error log.
>
> What could be the error?
>
> I have no experience in CGI - I only know it stands for Common Gateway
> Interface - is there something needed to be read up first?
>
> I assume when run in CGI mode, whatever you put in your "cgi" diectory
> (here it is c:/Apache2/htdocs/php) it will be treated as a script.
> Because if I try http://localhost/php/file.htm it still gives the same
> error.
>
> Also, if I put #! on the first line I get
> [Wed Feb 22 15:33:45 2006] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] (OS 2)The system
> cannot find the file specified. : couldn't create child process:
> 720002: index.php
> [Wed Feb 22 15:33:45 2006] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] (OS 2)The system
> cannot find the file specified. : couldn't spawn child process:
> C:/Apache2/htdocs/php/index.php
> or
> [Wed Feb 22 15:36:18 2006] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] (OS 193)%1 is not
> a valid Win32 application. : couldn't create child process: 720193:
> index.php
> [Wed Feb 22 15:36:18 2006] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] (OS 193)%1 is not
> a valid Win32 application. : couldn't spawn child process:
> C:/Apache2/htdocs/php/index.php
>
> Any suggested readings?
> I've googled the web and Google Groups but not able to get anything
> newer than what i know so far.
>
> TIA,
> JS.
>[/color]

**Joseph S.** · Feb 22 '06, 07:25 PM

Re: apache php cgi install problem

hi,
thanks for the replies.
(1) I am using my setup only for testing and development, so I do not
have to worry about the reliability/stability of PHP 5/Apache2 in CGI
mode on WIndows at the moment. The deployment server is linux.

(2)[color=blue]
> Have you done a PHPInfo? If you can't get this to work then you haven't
> installed php correctly.
> Create a page simply put this in it...
> <?phpinfo();? >[/color]
Tried that out. Surprisingly, see
http://in.php.net/manual/en/security.cgi-bin.shell.php : it says you
have to put the "shebang"(# !) line on top of each script if you are
running the code in CGI mode !
Tried that out only to get a nicer error in the logs:
----------start-------------
Premature end of script headers: index.php
Security Alert! The PHP CGI cannot be accessed directly.
This PHP CGI binary was compiled with force-cgi-redirect enabled.
This
means that a page will only be served up if the REDIRECT_STATUS CGI
variable is
set, e.g. via an Apache Action directive.
For more information as to why this behaviour exists, see the
<a href="http://php.net/security.cgi-bin">manual page for CGI
security</a>.
For more information about changing this behaviour or re-enabling
this webserver,
consult the installation file that came with this distribution, or
visit
<a href="http://php.net/install.windows ">the manual page</a>.
----------end-----------
All I needed to do was to set the value of the REDIRECT_STATUS CGI
variable.
This I did by adding a line below the Action application/x-httpd-php
line in httpd.conf :

SetEnv REDIRECT_STATUS On

This is clearly a dirty hack. And I dont think it solves the problem
that was being addressed by the error message. If my understanding is
not wrong, it is like this:
Some component of the system (either Apache or PHP) needs to know that
the request for the script is not direct (by direct typing of url e.g.
http://my.host/cgi-bin/php?/etc/passwd or
http://my.host/cgi-bin/php/secret/doc.html etc)
but redirected from Apache by either Alias or Rewrite or something.
The correct value of REDIRECT_STATUS will differentiate between direct
typing and Apache redirection.
Anyways, it is working for now.
Direct access to the php cgi executable in my case is not possible
because it is outside the document root.
However, the serious issue of writing the #! line is present yet. It
openly states the path to the php interpreter. If somehow the code is
exposed, my interpreter path is there for all to see.

However, that we'll see later.

Regards,
JS

apache php cgi install problem

apache php cgi install problem

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