in Features, Security

Version Check!

Thanks to Joseph Carpenter for the suggestion to publish software version numbers on a page here.  You should now see a “Versions” button at the top of this screen which links to a page with that information. 

The page includes version numbers for Apache, MySQL, PHP, Python, Perl, and Ruby.  If you think of others you’d like to see, let us know.

And here’s a handy version-related debugging tip.  Sometimes you need to know the specific version of a PHP module that is installed (or simply whether it’s installed at all).  The best way to check for PHP modules is with phpinfo().

Create a file called info.php and put the following in it:

<?php phpinfo(); ?>

Copy that file to someplace in your web site, then access it with your browser.  It will tell you what versions of Apache, MySQL, and PHP are in use (the AMP in LAMP).  It will also tell you about all PHP modules that are installed.  Scroll down to see them all — it’s a pretty long page.

If you need a module which isn’t installed, ask us about it!  Usually we can install it within a couple of days.  (We do some testing with an offline server to make sure the new module doesn’t conflict with any of the existing ones).

After you’re done with info.php, delete it from your web site.  It’s generally not a good idea to leave info.php laying around.  If you are having your site scanned for PCI compliance, the auditor will ding you a few points if they find a file which invokes phpinfo().