Headers and sessions in php .cgi

#1 (**permalink**) 01-10-2004

Hi there,

I have a problem setting my headers right with php running as .cgi. I
have to specify a Content-type for the cgi file to work. But how
should I do both that and start a session?

I have a few options:

#! /usr/local/bin/php
<?php
session_start();
print 'Content-type: text/html' . "\n\n";

This way $_SESSION['count'] stays unset even though I say
$_SESSION['count'] = 1; in my program.

To swap the two lines won't work because I heard \n\n terminates the
header portion. Anyway, here goes:

#! /usr/local/bin/php
<?php
print 'Content-type: text/html' . "\n\n";
session_start();

Now I get "Warning: session_start(): Cannot send session cookie -
headers already sent by... line 3" and then "Warning: session_start():
Cannot send session cache limiter - headers already sent...".

I have tried replacing print 'Content-type: text/html' . "\n\n"; by
print 'Content-type: text/html' . "\n"; (one \n instead of two) with
exactly the same result. With no \n at all I only get "Warning:
session_start(): Cannot send session cache limiter - headers already
sent".

The next thing I try is to replace print 'Content-type: text/html' and
the \n's by sending the same text in header(). This variety gives me a
"500 Internal Server Error" independant on the number of \n's.

Anyway, here's all my code. No matter what I do it always prints "Your
visit number 1". $_SESSION['count'] doesn't get increased at all!

========================
#! /usr/local/bin/php
<?php
print 'Content-type: text/html' . "\n\n";
session_start();
print '<html>' . "\n";
print '<body>' . "\n";

if (!isset($_SESSION['count']))
{
$_SESSION['count'] = 1;
}
else
{
$_SESSION['count']++;
}

print 'Your visit number ' . $_SESSION['count'] . "\n";
print '</body>' . "\n";
print '</html>' . "\n";
?>
========================

I hope you can help me out getting my headers straight.

Regards,

Børge

#2 (**permalink**) 01-10-2004

On Sat, 10 Jan 2004 17:44:18 +0100 (MET), you wrote:

>I have a problem setting my headers right with php running as .cgi. I
>have to specify a Content-type for the cgi file to work. But how
>should I do both that and start a session?
>
>I have a few options:
>
>#! /usr/local/bin/php
><?php
> session_start();
> print 'Content-type: text/html' . "\n\n";
>
>This way $_SESSION['count'] stays unset even though I say
>$_SESSION['count'] = 1; in my program.
>
>To swap the two lines won't work because I heard \n\n terminates the
>header portion. Anyway, here goes:

Stupid question: Have you tried

header ('Content-type: text/html');

I'm pretty sure it will work.

#3 (**permalink**) 01-10-2004

--- Børge Strand <borges@ifi.uio.no> wrote:
> I have a problem setting my headers right with php running as
> .cgi. I have to specify a Content-type for the cgi file to work.
> But how should I do both that and start a session?

Try using header() instead of print to set Content-Type.

Hope that helps.

Chris

=====
Chris Shiflett - http://shiflett.org/

PHP Security Handbook
Coming mid-2004
HTTP Developer's Handbook
http://httphandbook.org/

#4 (**permalink**) 01-10-2004

> >I have a problem setting my headers right with php running as .cgi. I
> >have to specify a Content-type for the cgi file to work. But how
> >should I do both that and start a session?
> >
> >I have a few options:
> >
> >#! /usr/local/bin/php
> ><?php
> > session_start();
> > print 'Content-type: text/html' . "\n\n";
> >
> >This way $_SESSION['count'] stays unset even though I say
> >$_SESSION['count'] = 1; in my program.
> >
> >To swap the two lines won't work because I heard \n\n terminates the
> >header portion. Anyway, here goes:
>
> Stupid question: Have you tried

Well, there's one thing I have found out here and that is that there's
no such thing as a stupid question. I've tried searching for
Content-type and session_start without getting any wiser :-(

> header ('Content-type: text/html');
>
> I'm pretty sure it will work.

Tried it, didn't word I'm afraid. The text inside doesn't contain
anything that's treated differently by " and '.

--
Børge

#5 (**permalink**) 01-10-2004

BøRge Strand wrote:
> Hi there,
>
> I have a problem setting my headers right with php running as .cgi. I
> have to specify a Content-type for the cgi file to work. But how
> should I do both that and start a session?
>
> I have a few options:
>
> #! /usr/local/bin/php
> <?php
> session_start();
> print 'Content-type: text/html' . "\n\n";
>
> This way $_SESSION['count'] stays unset even though I say
> $_SESSION['count'] = 1; in my program.
>
> To swap the two lines won't work because I heard \n\n terminates the
> header portion. Anyway, here goes:
>
> #! /usr/local/bin/php
> <?php
> print 'Content-type: text/html' . "\n\n";
> session_start();
>
> Now I get "Warning: session_start(): Cannot send session cookie -
> headers already sent by... line 3" and then "Warning: session_start():
> Cannot send session cache limiter - headers already sent...".
>
> I have tried replacing print 'Content-type: text/html' . "\n\n"; by
> print 'Content-type: text/html' . "\n"; (one \n instead of two) with
> exactly the same result. With no \n at all I only get "Warning:
> session_start(): Cannot send session cache limiter - headers already
> sent".
>
> The next thing I try is to replace print 'Content-type: text/html' and
> the \n's by sending the same text in header(). This variety gives me a
> "500 Internal Server Error" independant on the number of \n's.
>
> Anyway, here's all my code. No matter what I do it always prints "Your
> visit number 1". $_SESSION['count'] doesn't get increased at all!
>
> ========================
> #! /usr/local/bin/php
> <?php
> print 'Content-type: text/html' . "\n\n";
> session_start();
> print '<html>' . "\n";
> print '<body>' . "\n";
>
> if (!isset($_SESSION['count']))
> {
> $_SESSION['count'] = 1;
> }
> else
> {
> $_SESSION['count']++;
> }
>
> print 'Your visit number ' . $_SESSION['count'] . "\n";
> print '</body>' . "\n";
> print '</html>' . "\n";
> ?>
> ========================
>
> I hope you can help me out getting my headers straight.
>
>
> Regards,
>
> Børge

You should be using header as such:

header('Content-type: text/html');

You don't need and should not include the newlines. The reason that
other things aren't set is that two newlines ends headers (includeing
cookies and such) which breaks sessions.

If you simply use header() all of this is dealt with for you as it
should be. Just make sure that you don't print or echo anything before
using it (or starting a session).

--
paperCrane <Justin Patrin>

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