Making Apache to 'reload' its configuration

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  • Aaron Gray
    #1

    Making Apache to 'reload' its configuration

    Hi,

    I am having problems making Apache reload itself.

    I have tried a PHP exec calling a bash shell script that does a KILL -HUP on
    Apache to attempt to make it reload its configuration.

    The signal in the shell script works fine from root but will not work when
    called from PHP.

    Is there anyway to make Apache reload itself from PHP without having to
    doing a signal ?

    I am trying to do a configuration reload without requiring root.

    Many thanks in advance,

    Aaron


    Tags: None
    • Jerry Stuckle
      #2
      Re: Making Apache to 'reload' its configuration

      Aaron Gray wrote:
      Hi,
      >
      I am having problems making Apache reload itself.
      >
      I have tried a PHP exec calling a bash shell script that does a KILL -HUP on
      Apache to attempt to make it reload its configuration.
      >
      The signal in the shell script works fine from root but will not work when
      called from PHP.
      >
      Is there anyway to make Apache reload itself from PHP without having to
      doing a signal ?
      >
      I am trying to do a configuration reload without requiring root.
      >
      Many thanks in advance,
      >
      Aaron
      >
      >
      Your Apache user probably doesn't have the authority to do a kill. root
      does (of course).

      But you don't want to give the Apache user the kill authority, either.
      It's a huge security risk.

      Let's look at it another way. What problem are you trying to fix?

      --
      =============== ===
      Remove the "x" from my email address
      Jerry Stuckle
      JDS Computer Training Corp.
      jstucklex@attgl obal.net
      =============== ===

        Comment

        • Toby Inkster
          #3
          Re: Making Apache to 'reload' its configuration

          Aaron Gray wrote:
          The signal in the shell script works fine from root but will not work when
          called from PHP.
          As Jerry indicated, you are probably trying to fix the wrong problem. If
          we knew *why* you were trying to do this, then we might be able to tell
          you an alternative to reloading Apache in the first place.

          That having been said, look at "sudo".

          --
          Toby A Inkster BSc (Hons) ARCS
          Contact Me ~ http://tobyinkster.co.uk/contact

            Comment

            • Aaron Gray
              #4
              Re: Making Apache to 'reload' its configuration

              "Toby Inkster" <usenet200701@t obyinkster.co.u kwrote in message
              news:bs7484-dcj.ln1@ophelia .g5n.co.uk...
              Aaron Gray wrote:
              >
              >The signal in the shell script works fine from root but will not work
              >when
              >called from PHP.
              >
              As Jerry indicated, you are probably trying to fix the wrong problem. If
              we knew *why* you were trying to do this, then we might be able to tell
              you an alternative to reloading Apache in the first place.
              Okay, I am working on putting to gether a server administration program
              thats written in PHP and runs in Apache. It needs to reload the
              configuration after adding, removing, or modifying the virtual web sites
              Apache is serving.

              The only simple way I can think of is to do a reload every 10 minutes or
              every hour, as a cron job, or so.
              That having been said, look at "sudo".
              No that requires a password to be entered.

              Aaron


                Comment

                • Jerry Stuckle
                  #5
                  Re: Making Apache to 'reload' its configuration

                  Aaron Gray wrote:
                  "Toby Inkster" <usenet200701@t obyinkster.co.u kwrote in message
                  news:bs7484-dcj.ln1@ophelia .g5n.co.uk...
                  >Aaron Gray wrote:
                  >>
                  >>The signal in the shell script works fine from root but will not work
                  >>when
                  >>called from PHP.
                  >As Jerry indicated, you are probably trying to fix the wrong problem. If
                  >we knew *why* you were trying to do this, then we might be able to tell
                  >you an alternative to reloading Apache in the first place.
                  >
                  Okay, I am working on putting to gether a server administration program
                  thats written in PHP and runs in Apache. It needs to reload the
                  configuration after adding, removing, or modifying the virtual web sites
                  Apache is serving.
                  >
                  The only simple way I can think of is to do a reload every 10 minutes or
                  every hour, as a cron job, or so.
                  >
                  >That having been said, look at "sudo".
                  >
                  No that requires a password to be entered.
                  >
                  Aaron
                  >
                  >
                  You mean like WebMin?

                  You can change the user (although I don't recommend it). Check out
                  posix_setgid() and posix_getuid().

                  And if you do change the user/group id, I recommend you first spawn
                  another process to do it, rather than trying to change it for the Apache
                  server itself.

                  Or, rather than killing Apache, why not execute a batch job which
                  gracefully brings it down and restarts it?

                  --
                  =============== ===
                  Remove the "x" from my email address
                  Jerry Stuckle
                  JDS Computer Training Corp.
                  jstucklex@attgl obal.net
                  =============== ===

                    Comment

                    • Colin McKinnon
                      #6
                      Re: Making Apache to 'reload' its configuration

                      Aaron Gray wrote:
                      "Toby Inkster" <usenet200701@t obyinkster.co.u kwrote in message
                      news:bs7484-dcj.ln1@ophelia .g5n.co.uk...
                      >Aaron Gray wrote:
                      >>
                      >>The signal in the shell script works fine from root but will not work
                      >>when
                      >>called from PHP.
                      >>
                      >As Jerry indicated, you are probably trying to fix the wrong problem. If
                      >we knew *why* you were trying to do this, then we might be able to tell
                      >you an alternative to reloading Apache in the first place.
                      >
                      Okay, I am working on putting to gether a server administration program
                      thats written in PHP and runs in Apache. It needs to reload the
                      configuration after adding, removing, or modifying the virtual web sites
                      Apache is serving.
                      >
                      The only simple way I can think of is to do a reload every 10 minutes or
                      every hour, as a cron job, or so.
                      You are writing a server administration program but you don't know how
                      permissions work. Am I the only one to feel a bit worried at this point?

                      You need to read up on privilege separation. Certainly use sudo - but there
                      are other ways. Try Google or read the relevant parts of the Rute.
                      >
                      No that requires a password to be entered.
                      >
                      Aaaaarrrgghhhhh !!!!!!

                      Read the sudo manual. Thouroughly, please.

                      C.

                        Comment

                        • Toby Inkster
                          #7
                          Re: Making Apache to 'reload' its configuration

                          Aaron Gray wrote:
                          "Toby Inkster" <usenet200701@t obyinkster.co.u kwrote in message
                          news:bs7484-dcj.ln1@ophelia .g5n.co.uk...
                          >
                          >That having been said, look at "sudo".
                          >
                          No that requires a password to be entered.
                          You seem to be getting confused with "su". "sudo" can be set up for
                          regular users to run stuff as root *without* passwords. Indeed, that's
                          kind of the point of it.

                          --
                          Toby A Inkster BSc (Hons) ARCS
                          Contact Me ~ http://tobyinkster.co.uk/contact

                            Comment

                            • Erwin Moller
                              #8
                              Re: Making Apache to 'reload' its configuration

                              Toby Inkster wrote:
                              Aaron Gray wrote:
                              >"Toby Inkster" <usenet200701@t obyinkster.co.u kwrote in message
                              >news:bs7484-dcj.ln1@ophelia .g5n.co.uk...
                              >>
                              >>That having been said, look at "sudo".
                              >>
                              >No that requires a password to be entered.
                              >
                              You seem to be getting confused with "su". "sudo" can be set up for
                              regular users to run stuff as root *without* passwords. Indeed, that's
                              kind of the point of it.
                              But still... you do not want to give apache sudo rights. I would LOVE to add
                              a few PHP scripts of my own to that server. No, not really because I am a
                              good guy. :P

                              But maybe, if the server is totally dedicated to this job, and no others can
                              use that apache, it is doable. But not really recommended.
                              I would say: don't.

                              Regards,
                              Erwin Moller

                                Comment

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