session_start() causing page to fail

mfacer

Hey guys.. hopefully you can shed some light on this problem...

I have a basic script:

echo "hello world";

which works fine on the website when called... BUT... if I then use a session start it hangs the loading and the page never loads.... eg:

session_start();
echo "hello world";

the above simply will not load. I've done the phpinfo, and the session data is:

Session Support = enabled
Registered save handlers = files user

I've never come across this problem in my years of coding!! Can anyone help me out on this?

thanks,
Matt.

Installer

Do you have error reporting and error display (or error logging) turned on?

mfacer

not on the server - I cannot get access to that - is there a way I can force the page to show any errors?

Installer

ini_set('error_reporting', E_ALL);
ini_set('display_errors', '1');

At the top of your script.

mfacer

thats weird! It's made the page work!! No errors are shown, yet the session is working ok now... if I remove the code you suggested above, the page doesnt work again! - why would this be?!

[EDIT] Now its not working again...... I've no idea why this is! Could it be something wrong with the server?

mfacer

here's some more info from the phpinfo page about the sessions

www.expeditionguide.com/phpinfo.php

is there anything unusual???

Installer

I guess it could, be the server, but I don't know how. The best I can come up with is: Are you somehow adding html output when you delete those two lines, such as an empty line or spaces before the opening php tag?

mfacer

nope - made sure the first lines after <?php was the session - and now its the warnings..... never had this before.... very wierd

Installer

Not after...before. The only things that will cause problems after the tag is code that will generate html or other http headers.

mfacer

sorry - no there are no lines above the <?php openening tag - I never do that.... usually cos it causes errors! 😉

Installer

Well, that was my best and only guess. 😕

mfacer

🙁 thanks for your advice anyway... I'm completely stuck with this - anyone else have any ideas?