php as CGI many defunct?

Anon

I've just installed php-4.1.2 and configured it as a CGI, not a module, cause a third party program required it as CGI. But when i now run my php scripts, all scripts show a remarkeble slow response, sometimes more than 1 or even 2 seconds.

Most of my scripts use persistent connections to a mysql or postgresql database.

When i look at the 'top' commando i see a couple 'php <defunct>' lines. Could this be the problem? I've recompiled php with the "--enable-sigchild" parameter, but still no increase of speed.

van__

Most of my scripts use persistent connections to a mysql or postgresql database.

That is your problem.
Don't use pconnect to databases with CGI, use it for Apache only.

There really is no need for a pconnect anyway, since each time you call a connect, it just uses the last resourceID provided.

And besides, you should have DB wrappers that check for an active resourceID to avoid trying to reconnect.

And, running PHP as a CGI will be slower than the Apache Module version, due to the fact that Apache must exec your script as an external process, capture it's output and then display it to the page, so yes... there will be a performance hit.

Anon

Thanks for your reply, i've changed the pconnect to connect. But it's still slow. I've make a test script, which shows my problem:

=====begin.php=====
<?
if($todo=="go")
{
header("Location: pagina.php");
exit;
}
?>

<A href="begin.php?todo=go">test</a>

=====pagina.php====
<?
header("Location: begin.php");
exit;

?>

When you access begin.php and click the link test, it takes a whopping 6 seconds.

I've also tryed this script when php is compiled as module, it the runs very smooth and takes less than 0,5 seconds.

van__

Looks like you forgot something very important there...

Put this on the top of all your scripts:
#!/usr/local/bin/php -q

That would explain the ordeal, Apache was having to search and locate PHP to execute the scripts..

Anon

Thanks again! It's just like perl 🙂 The script now runs smooth on netscape 4, which uses HTTP/1.0. But when i try a browser which talks HTTP/1.1 the "slowness" is back. Strange cause when php is compiled as module it works smooth on both (1.0 and 1.1).

I first thought it's the IExplorer, but the i tryed mozilla and got the same problem. After that i thought the "Location: " header may not be supported by the HTTP/1.1 protocol, but it runs fine when php is compiled as module, so that can't be the problem.

van__

hmmmm....
At this point I would have to say that you'd need to read up in the manual here:
php.net/manual/en/
to check out any configuration settings/libraries you are loading that could be causing this effect.

Personally, I have PHP running as both an Apache Module and CGI on my system and have never experienced that kind of slowness from the CGI version.

Anon

Thanks, i will then take a look at the manual and my php configuration.