PHP error_log - WTF?

[beano]

Hey, I realised one of my sites was using about 10 times the space it usually does the other day.

When I found the source of the problem it was a 60 MB file called error_log in the public_html directory.

The file's called error_log and seems to be something that PHP's doing automatically. I've almost certainly configured something to do this somewhere but I can't remember how or what or where. Can anyone help?!

[omniuni]

Yes, php does keep an error log. If it's 60 MB, then you've probably got a major issue with your php script! That's a 60 megabyte text file!!!

First, you can safely delete that log file. Next, create a blank file called testme.php and upload it to the server. in the file, but the following line:

<?php include('idontexist.blah'); ?>

go to your website /testme.php and see if it outputs the error to the web page. (It should say something to the effect of "there is no such file as idontexist.blah")

If you don't see an error, PHP is outputting to a text file, not to the page, which is probably why your log is so big.

Once we know this, we should be able to go on from there to fix the problem.

[PsyCHZZZ]

Have you reviewed the error_log file? Perhaps you can find out which script is causing the problem (usually included in the error_log description) and fixing the issue on the script will solve this problem.

You can also look into creating your own php.ini file or just using ini_set() for specific PHP script to control how you want the error messages to be managed.

Ref Link :
http://www.php.net/manual/en/function.ini-set.php
http://www.php.net/manual/en/errorfu...figuration.php

[beano]

Thanks for the help guys. I'm not particularly bothered about any of the errors that are showing up (technically I suppose they're warnings rather than errors), but I've noticed today this seems to be happening across all my sites.

I'm getting error_log files all over the place, so I'm guessing it's something that WHB turns on by default that my previous hosts didn't (I just moved here in May and have been on holiday for the first 2 weeks of June).

phpinfo() says log_errors is "On" so I guess I'll try disabling that with ini-set.

[Alan B]

Maybe there's a way you can set a size limit for the error log.

[beano]

Apparently I can disable it by creating a php.ini file in every directory on every site and setting the value
log_errors = 'Off';

But that's hardly satisfactory.

Never got round to getting this sorted but it could be a security hole apparently:

http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/a...-in-error_log/

Is it not a bit silly to log errors unless users specifically tell their scripts not too? It must be such a waste. Is there not a case to change the servers php.ini file to default to NOT logging errors?

[Alan B]

Perhaps WHB Support could comment about the potential vulnerability and about ways to limit the size of the log files.