php safe mode management ?

[#1]

I'm wondering if there is a time scale for implementing safe mode management via the plesk control panel. I am aware of scripting techniques to circumnavigate the problems that safe mode 'ON' causes a number of php apps and portals. However those scripting techniques don't help the pre installed web apps in the control panel, indeed many of them are crippled because of safe mode.
Cheers
John

[#2]

Yep,
I am finding it almost impossible to run drupal on the new PAYH server with safemode being on.  I have taken a snapshot of the sorts of errors I am getting.  I have tried both Drupal 5.15 and 6.9.
Drupal 5.15 still installs and runs great on the old ccgi server.
Hopefully PN won't be too hasty in turning off the old platform to soon.

[#3]

It is possible (apparently) to run PHP scripts as your own user and get around the problems of "safe mode ON".
http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,73037.0.html describes the method to do it.
I havn't had chance to try this myself yet but will if safe mode option is not enabled again soon.

[#4]

Quote

It is possible (apparently) to run PHP scripts as your own user and get around the problems of "safe mode ON".

I can confirm that it does work (certainly for Gallery software which I am running).
Paul

[#5]

The scripting techniques don't help the novice who wants to do an easy install from the plesk control panel. I just cant see the point in having a variety of apps listed in the control panel which will not install.
I'm not knocking a free service, I'm merely pointing out how it looks from a novices point of view.
I would suggest that it would be better to either:
1.  Remove all of the apps.
2. Identify those that will run under safe mode and adjust the install script accordingly (joomla, I think is an example that will run either way, dont quote me though  )
3. Or somehow provide a way of setting safe mode to what is required.
Hopefully someone from +net will see what I'm on about.
John

[#6]

Which application are you wanting to install ?.

[#7]

There isn't a specific app that  I need for myself. I was just highlighting how the service might appear to a newbie, and trying to offer that feed back to +net. I know and appreciate that there are a lot of knowledgeable folk here to help, and that's all to the good.

[#8]

I too would like to see an answer to the original question!
I installed CMS Made Simple when it was possible to turn Safe Mode off. It worked well, was exactly the type of CMS I wanted, but it really requires Safe Mode to be off. Now I can find work arounds for most things but it has become CMS Made Quite Complicated!
I am on the whole very pleased with the new hosting platform and have managed to get used to not having terminal access. Access to mySQL is a major bonus and PHP 5 is a distinct improvement. Best of all it so much faster than the original platform which had become unusable. I do not like to complain, but ..............
When Safe Mode was forced on we were told that this was a security issue and user control would be restored when possible. There has been time to formulate a detailed response to the original issue and we should be informed of the plans and a timescale. I hope that I am not seeing the message "we are not prepared to allow Safe Mode off on the platform", but it begins to look look that way to me. If this is the case then we should be told. I could then choose to abandon CMSMS and use Joomla or Wordpress both of which do work with Safe Mode off, or move to a different host.
Many hosting platforms do run securely with Safe Mode off. Running with Safe Mode on is at best a short term solution. It is deprictated and will at some point no longer be available, or at least this is my understanding having read up on the topic. There will eventually have to be a solution and sooner rather than later sounds good to me.
I appreciated the comments and suggestions about work arounds but the original question does need answering. Just in case anyone has forgotten what it was...
"I'm wondering if there is a time scale for implementing safe mode management via the plesk control panel." PlusNet ????

[#9]

With PHP run as an Apache module, on a shared hosting platform like PAYH, it is not safe to allow clients to set safe_mode off. This shouldn't be a user option, ever.
(mod_php can be configured to run safely with safe mode off, but with so many disabled functions that you'd wonder why you bothered. There are ways of running Apache itself as individual user, so avoiding the need for safe mode in PHP, but, although some people seem to have made them work with Plesk, they are not supported.)
With PHP run as CGI or FastCGI, safe_mode can be off. The original question could perhaps be rephrased: is there a time scale for implementing PHP handling by FastCGI? For Plesk on Linux, this becomes configurable in version 9. This is new and, as patch 9.0.1 suggests, a bit buggy at the moment. Plusnet seem strangely attached to Plesk, so I guess we have to wait for them to gain confidence in the stability of Plesk 9.
It might be difficult for Plusnet to plan a schedule, but could they please give us a better idea of their view of the current position. In particular, if Plusnet terminate the ccgi platform before upgrading Plesk on PAYH, I think it's going to cause unnecessary migration problems. Please, Plusnet, at least tell us that's not going to happen.
Gabe