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                   Reason #2.71828182845904523536 I hate PHP
                                        
So for my other job, I was requested to upgrade PHP [1] from 4.3.8 to 4.3.9
because of a non-functioning script on one of the websites (in and of itself,
never a good sign). So I pull it down, configure, make, make install and
other stuff to get it into Apache, get an executable built, move it into
place, start it up, and everything looks good so far … request
http://www.example.net/server_info to make sure PHP is in there and …
nothing.

Web server is running.

No page.

Any, and all requests are dying.

This is not good.

Check the log file and find:

> [Sun Oct 10 02:09:49 2004] [notice] child pid 22113 exit signal
> Segmentation fault (11)
> 

Put the old executable into place and start tracking down the problem.

Well, long story short, the “solution” to this “problem” involved deleting
the existing PHP configuration (and associated files—the one installed for
PHP 4.3.**8**) and installing the PHP configuration for PHP 4.3.**9**.

Okay, PHP 3x to PHP 4x, I could understand.

I might even forgive breakage from 4.x to 4.y.

But breakage from 4.3.**8** to 4.3.**9**?

Truely, PHP is the scripting language du jour.

[1] http://www.php.net/

Email author at sean@conman.org

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