Php Modules

[DirkNiblick]

Is it possible that PHP modules be added to (my) server(s)? There are a number of PHP modules I'd like to develop with that are not available on my server. Many of these are quite useful:

 

'--with-gmp': ability to handle very large numbers

'--with-zip': read zip files; upload numerous images via a simple browse button

'--with-bz2': read and CREATE bzip files

'--enable-exif': read meta data from digital cameras stored in JPEG or TIFF images

'--with-pspell': check spelling, useful for forum posts or e-mail

'--enable-calendar': helpful calendar/date/time functions

 

Is there anyone else who would be in favor of these? Would it be possible to install these modules or include them in an upgrade to PHP 5.0.1?

[MikeJ]

Submit a help desk ticket and we will review the possibility of adding options to PHP on your server.

 

Currently there are no near term plans to move to PHP 5.0.x. It's still too new, and could potentially break numerous customer installed scripts/packages.

[DirkNiblick]

Help Desk Response:

 

I'm afraid we cannot alter the PHP settings to add certain modules for a particular customer. This is because we have the policy to maintain commom configuration in all our servers.

 

It seems like a silly policy to limit the ability of customers to develop with even basic PHP modules. Especially when such a change would require minimal downtime and/or implications for users' scripts. Is there no other customer that would use these functions?

[LisaJill]

I believe that Apache here is compiled with the default (and thusly most common) php modules. Many, many scripts avoid using non-default ones for the same reason as the help desk quotes as not being able to install them.

 

I ran across this with the exif reading module; and believe me, this is a HUGE problem for digital photographers on most hosting providers. It is such a big problem that someone created a special set of libraries called exifer so that php could read exif information without any changes on shared web hosting servers. =)

 

I'm not sure if there is something like that for the other modules; but maybe.

 

Anyway, I hope that this helps to indicate how widespread some of this can be.

Edited September 17, 2004 by TCH-Lisa

[TCH-Rob]

It seems like a silly policy to limit the ability of customers to develop with even basic PHP modules

 

I believe part of the problem may be with the fact that if we add these modules and at a later date we upgrade Apache or PHP and they are not there then we would have to add them all over again. This is no simple task to do on over 80 servers.