weird session problem

masionas

ok, here's the thing. I have two server with almost the same environtment, the only difference is on one apache was built from source and another was rpm.

OS: Fedora Core 3
apache 2.0.54
php 5.0.4

On one box session is working correctly the files in /var/lib/php/session are not 0 size when they are expected to hold some session data storing from scripts. But this is not case for another box. The actual session files are created but they are not filled with data as it is expected and they are always 0 size and session variables are empty.

The sites on both boxes are the mirrors of each other.
php.ini is identical.
permission on /var/lib/php/session are the same
both httpd are running under apache:apache user group.

Any clues? Thank you for any ideas.

P.S. Forgot to say both boxes are running under SELinux

bradgrafelman

Well that's awfully curious, to say the least...

Do a phpinfo() and make sure the non-working box is reading from the correct .ini file (make sure the path that it tells you is correct).

I doubt this is the problem, since the files are being CREATED in the same place, but not written to. This type of problem would seem to be indicate a permissions problem, but you said you checked the permissions, so I'm at a loss. Double check permissions perhaps? Look at one of the "empty" files' owner/group/permissions and see if it's got the same permissions as one of the working session files on the other supposedly identical box.

masionas

Yes, php.ini is the correct one. One more difference I noticed that on non-working host also Zend optimizer is installed. However previousely I did not have a problem with it.

bradgrafelman

I'm a bit stumped here. You said you double checked all the settings & permissions so... I'm out of solutions! Sorry!

masionas

if I create simple scripts

ses.php

<?
session_start();
$_SESSION["t1"] = "ses_test1";
?>

ses1.php

<?
session_start();
print_r($_SESSION);
?>

It works and data is written to session file and persistent along the site. But the settings from the actual scripts are not committed to file and not persistent. When I fill the $_SESSION array and then print it - it prints it but only on this script output where I filled it in and not another script. But the weirdness that the same actual scripts are working with session ok on another box.

Hence the conclusion is since simplest test session scripts are working, the session handling works with Apache and php. What else left to check? Permissions on the scripts, owner:group, security context?

All ideas are welcome, thank you.

bradgrafelman

You shouldn't have to, but did you try adding [man]session_write_close/man to the end of the first file?

EDIT: Also, try doing a echo session_id() in both files - see if you get the same SID in both files. If not, it's not carrying the SID over to the next file, which means you'll probably have to declare it via the URL, a POST'd element, etc.

masionas

Yes, the session id is the same and I can see in the session the value created by that simple script, but not the values from actual site scripts. I.e. the value from the simple test script keeps stored and is visible to all the scripts via session variables, but the values are setting in the site scripts are visible only on the script they are setting on.

bradgrafelman

You aren't going across different domains with the sessions, are you?

Other than that, I'd try adding the SID to the URL.

masionas

No, I am trying it with one domain name. Adding the SID is a solution but I am still wondering why it happens so, what is wrong with the config, since these same scripts handle session ok on the similiar box.