Introduction:
When installing phpMyAdmin on a Linux server with Ubuntu, Hestia CP users may encounter a warning about the temporary directory ($cfg['TempDir']) being inaccessible. This warning indicates that phpMyAdmin cannot cache templates in the specified directory, leading to a slowdown in its performance. In this article, we'll explore this issue and provide a detailed step-by-step solution.
The Problem:
When using phpMyAdmin, the following warning appears: "[Warning] $cfg['TempDir'] (/usr/share/phpmyadmin/tmp/) is not accessible. phpMyAdmin is not able to cache templates and will be slow."
This means that phpMyAdmin does not have access to the /usr/share/phpmyadmin/tmp/ directory for caching templates. Without the ability to cache templates, phpMyAdmin has to process them every time, significantly slowing down its performance.
Causes of the Problem:
The issue may arise due to several factors:
1. Limited access permissions: The web server running phpMyAdmin may be denied access to the /usr/share/phpmyadmin/tmp/ directory for security reasons.
2. Conflicting settings: Existing settings in the phpMyAdmin configuration file may overwrite or conflict with the temporary directory settings.
3. Installation issues: The temporary directory settings may have been misconfigured during the installation of phpMyAdmin.
Regardless of the cause, it's important to resolve this issue to ensure optimal performance of phpMyAdmin.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Check Directory Access Permissions
Use the command
ls -ld /usr/share/phpmyadmin/tmp/
to check the access permissions for the `/usr/share/phpmyadmin/tmp/` directory. This command will display information about the directory, including access permissions, owner, and group.
Step 2: Locate the `config.inc.php` File
If you're unsure about the location of the `config.inc.php` file, use the command `find / -name config.inc.php` to search for it. This command will start searching from the root directory `/` and traverse all subdirectories, displaying the full path to the found file.
Step 3: Read the Contents of `config.inc.php`
Read the contents of the `config.inc.php` file using the command:
cat /full/path/to/config.inc.php
Replace `/full/path/to/config.inc.php` with the actual path obtained in the previous step.
Step 4: Resolve the Issue
Add the line `$cfg['TempDir'] = '/tmp';` to the `config.inc.php` file of phpMyAdmin. This will instruct phpMyAdmin to use the `/tmp` directory for temporary files instead of the inaccessible `/usr/share/phpmyadmin/tmp/`. The `/tmp` directory is a standard temporary directory in Linux and is typically writable.
Step 5: Edit the `config.inc.php` File
Open the `config.inc.php` file using a text editor like nano with the command:
sudo nano /etc/phpmyadmin/config.inc.php
This command will open the file with superuser privileges, which is necessary for editing.
Step 6: Add the Line
In the file, locate the section that defines the directories for saving and loading files from the server. It should look something like this:
/* Directories for saving/loading files from server */
$cfg['UploadDir'] = '';
$cfg['SaveDir'] = '';
Add the line:
$cfg['TempDir'] = '/tmp';
after:
$cfg['SaveDir'] = '';
so that the file looks like this:
/* Directories for saving/loading files from server */
$cfg['UploadDir'] = '';
$cfg['SaveDir'] = '';
$cfg['TempDir'] = '/tmp';
Step 7: Save and Close
After making the changes, save the file by pressing `Ctrl+O`, then exit the editor using `Ctrl+X`.
Step 8: Restart Web Servers
To apply the changes, restart the Apache and Nginx web servers using the following commands:
sudo service apache2 restart
sudo service nginx restart
Step 9: Verify the Result
After restarting the web servers, refresh the phpMyAdmin page in your browser. The warning about the inaccessible temporary directory should disappear, indicating that the issue has been successfully resolved.
Conclusion:
By following these step-by-step instructions, you can resolve the issue of the inaccessible temporary directory in phpMyAdmin. It's important to note that you'll need the appropriate access permissions to edit the configuration file.