---
title: How to configure PHP
description: This page explains how to configure PHP.
tags: webhosting php antispam
dates:
  validation: 2025-09-03
  posted: 2021-08-05
---
import WebhostingOnline from '@macros/webhosting/webhosting-online.mdx'

import image from './assets/scaleway_website_php.webp'


<WebhostingOnline />

## How to configure PHP at Scaleway

`phpinfo` is a function of the PHP language, that allows you to see the active modules, the configuration of the server, the restrictions, and the compilation parameters of the language:

```php
<?php

  // Display information about the PHP version used:
  echo phpinfo();

?>
```

<Message type="note">
  - The default version of PHP for all webhostings is PHP 5. During the creation of your webhosting, a `phpinfo.php` file will be created.
</Message>

## How to use sessions

Sessions are a method to save certain information when you are browsing, (your shopping cart during a pending order, for example). The session system is a default feature of PHP.

<Message type="tip">
  - Refer to the [official documentation](https://www.php.net/manual/en/ref.session.php) for more information about sessions.
</Message>

Let us see how to use sessions with PHP4:

1. Log into your PHP session using FTP and go to the folder `www/` in which you will add the code of your website.
2. Create a new file and name it `start.php` containing the following lines:
    ```php
    <?php
    session_start();
    session_register ("count");
    $count = 42;
    echo "We registered ".$count." <br />";
    ?>

    To go to the next page <A HREF="URLexample/nextpage.php">click here</A>
    ```
3. Create a new file and name it `nextpage.php` containing the following lines:
    ```php
    <?php
    session_start();
    session_register("count");
    echo "The previously registered count is " . $count ."<br />";
    ?>
    ```
4. Upload the files to your website and open the file `start.php` in your browser.

## How to configure a root directory (DocumentRoot)

<Message type="important">
  Never use the absolute path `hard` coded in your site, because the path is likely to change, and your site will be inaccessible.
</Message>


1. Use the variable `$DOCUMENT_ROOT` that points to the root of the website in which your script is being hosted.
2. Use `$path = “$DOCUMENT_ROOT/afolder/anotherfolder/”;` if you want to know the path of your website `http://www.mysite.ext/afolder/anotherfolder`.

## How to configure a directory inclusion (IncludePath)

As part of the creation of a large website, it is possible to centralize frequently included files by adding a default directory to the search list of included files. You must create it, as it is not created by default.

1. Create a directory `include` (all lowercase letters) in the website's folder (for example: www/include).
    <Message type="note">
      - Such directory can only be used within the website it was created in. This means the main website's directory, which is named `www/include`, is not accessible from a secondary website (such as `blog.domain.ext`).
    </Message>
2. Below is an example of a directory-inclusion:
    - Let us suppose you created a file `global.php` including different information or methods.
    - You want to access it from anywhere on your website without copying it in each subdirectory or entering the relative path to that file in each program.
    - Let us assume that your `.php` files are located on the main website `www.mydomain.ext>`.
    - You have to create `www/include` and store your file `global.php` in it (it is therefore in `www/include/global.php` seen in FTP).
    - Call it from a `.php` file regardless of where it is located inside the main website by writing:
      ```php
      <?php
      include("global.php"); 
      // following code...
      ?>
      ```
    - You can also use: 
      ```php
      <?php
      require("global.php"); 
      // more code to follow...
      ?>
      ```

## How to connect to a database

<Message type="note">
  - Persistent connections are not possible due to the architecture of the webhosting platform and are performed as a standard connection.
</Message>

Refer to the [documentation](/classic-hosting/how-to/manage-mysql-database-phpmyadmin/) on how to configure the connection to a database using PHP.

## How to upload files

<Message type="note">
  - The maximum file size you can upload is 10 MB.
</Message>

1. Rename an uploaded file using the function `move_updloaded_file` before the end of your script.
2. The temporary file `phpXXXXX` will be deleted at the end of the receiving PHP script. Below is an example:
    ```php
    <form method="post" enctype="multipart/form-data" action="upload.php">
      <p>
        <input type="file" name="file" size="30">
        <input type="submit" name="upload" value="Upload">
      </p>
    </form>

    <?php
      // if form is submitted
      if (isset($_POST['upload'])) {
        $tmp_file = $_FILES['file']['tmp_name'];
        $name_file = $_FILES['file']['name'];

        if (!is_uploaded_file($tmp_file)) {
              exit("The file can not be found");
        }

        if (!move_uploaded_file($tmp_file, $name_file)) {
              exit("Impossible to move the file to $name_file");
        }

        echo "The file has been uploaded and can be found at  $name_file";
      }
    ?>
    ```

## How to send emails

The email function of PHP is available, but it has some limitations:
  - No more than 35 recipients per call of the function,
  - Maximum 500 outgoing mails per day, with a limitation of 60 mails/hour,
  - Size of the mails is limited to 2 MB,
  - Antispam detection,
  - The mail function returns TRUE on success and FALSE if one of these conditions is not met.

Here is an example:
  - Let us suppose that the domain is `domain.ext`.

```php
<?php
  
  // Put here your valid email address
  $to = "contact@domain.ext";
  
  // Subject of the message 
  $subject = "Test mail() function of PHP";
  
  // Body of the message, text encoded using iso-8859-1
  $message = "Hello,\nthe message was send. Regards the Webmaster\n";
  
  // Headers of the message
  $headers = ""; // we clear the variable
  $headers = "From: Webmaster <webmaster@domain.ext>\n"; // Adding the From field
  // $headers = $headers."MIME-Version: 1.0\n"; // Adding the MIME version
  $headers = $headers."Content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1\n"; // Add the type of encoding
  
  // Call the mail function
  if ( mail($to, $subject, $message, $headers) == TRUE )
  {
    echo "Mail sent.";
  }
  else
  {
    echo "Error: The message could not be sent.";
  }
  
?>
```

<Message type="important">
  A malicious individual can use contact forms to send you spam. By calling several times a second, it will eventually saturate the `contact@domain.ext` email address you specified. The addition of a captcha can help you avoid this kind of hacking, and thus the suspension or cancellation of your account.
</Message>

## How to create a contact form (form2mail)

Let us suppose that the domain in this example is `domain.ext`.

1. Create a file `form.html` and upload it using FTP. Your file should be similar to:
    ```php
    <html>
      <body> 
        <form action="form2mail.php" method="post">
          Enter your email address: <input type="text" name="email"><br />Message:<br />
          <textarea name="message" rows="8" cols="50"></textarea><br />
          <input type="submit" value="Send the mail">
        </form> 
      </body>
    </html>
    ```
2. Create a second file `form2mail.php` and upload it using FTP. Your file should be similar to:
    ```php
    <?php
    
    /* Initialization of the variables */
    $from = "webmaster@domain.ext"; // the sender,
    replace domain.ext with your domain name
    $to = "you@domain.ext"; // recipient, put your mail address in here
    
    /* Preparation */
    $subject = "Test of the mail() function of PHP"; // The subject of the mail
    $email = NULL;
    $message = NULL;
    
    /* Get the content of the email field */
    if (!empty($_POST['email'])) {
      $email = $_POST['email'] ;
    }
    /* Get the content of the message field */
    if ($email && !empty($_POST['message'])) {
      $message = "Message sent from $email :\n" . $_POST['message'];
    }
    
    /* Sending*/
    if ($email && $message)
    {
    
      /* Required headers for the mail */
      $headers = "From: Webmaster <$from>\n";
      $headers .= "To: Contact <$to>\n";
    /*  $headers .= "MIME-Version: 1.0\n";
      $headers .= "Content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-15\n";
    
    /*  Call of the mail function */
      if (!mail($to, $subject, $message, $headers)){
        echo "Error: Impossible to send the mail";
      } else {
        echo "Email sent";
      }
    } 
    else {
      echo "Error: You need to specify a mail address and a message.\n";
    }
    
    ?>
    ```

## How to configure PHP versions

Scaleway offers different PHP versions:

* The version 5.5
* The version 5.6
* The version 7.0
* The version 7.1
* The version 7.2
* The version 7.3 

<Message type="important">
  Versions prior to PHP 5.6 are deprecated, so we recommend you update the code of your website. If you need an older version, you must contact the support and request it.
</Message>

The default version for `.php` is 7.3 for current webhosting accounts. For older accounts the version can be changed directly from the [Dedibox console](https://console.online.net):

1. Log into your account.
2. Click **Hosting**, then **Manage**, next to your webhosting.
3. Click **Manage** in the menu on the right. The **Website configuration** page displays.
4. Click the **Edit** action.
    <Lightbox image={image} />
5. Select the PHP version of your choice.
6. Click **Submit** to update your PHP version.

## How to configure PHP 

<Message type="important">
  Configuring PHP is possible for all our offers. However, ensure you are running at least PHP version 5.3 and above.
</Message>

1. Upload a `.user.ini`file to the folder corresponding to your subdomain (folder `/www` for example).
    <Message type="note">
      The majority of options are configurable, except for those with an impact on the resources of the server.
    </Message>
2. You can modify all values with `PHP_INI_ALL` changeable option you can find by clicking this [link](https://www.php.net/manual/en/ini.list.php).
    <Message type="important">
      - chown: modifications of the owner of a file are prohibited. Files uploaded using PHP or FTP already belong to your user.
      - system/exec/popen: the execution of binaries or CGI files is not possible for security reasons.
      - ASP is not supported. The execution of CGI scripts (cgi-bin) and other programs is disabled.
    </Message>

## How to solve an HTTP error 500 in the htaccess file

You can get this error because your `.htaccess` file has errors, such as:

- Presence of unauthorized directive,
- Presence of a syntax error,
- `.htaccess` file transferred in binary, instead of a transfer as text,
- Lack of a final blank line.

1. Rename the `.htaccess` file to `htaccessX.txt`to solve these errors.
2. Create an empty `.htaccess` file.
3. Add the lines one by one until you find the lines that caused the error 500.

## How to solve an error in a PHP Script

An error 500 can come from an error in the PHP code.

Change the `error_reporting` and `display_errors` in a `user.ini` file as described in [How to configure PHP](#how-to-configure-php-at-scaleway).

## How to solve email problems

1. Update your CMS if it uses the `phpmailer` class (XOOPS, WAnewsletter for example).
2. Replace the `phpmailer` directory present in your CMS with the latest version proposed here https://github.com/PHPMailer/PHPMailer.