Error on upgrade to 0.4.2: session has already been started by session.auto-start or session_start()

Support & Bugs
1

I just went through the automatic upgrade process to move from 0.4.1 to 0.4.2.

It seemed like a smooth process, upgrading the php and the database.

However, I get the following error when I try to access the piwik admin interface now:

session has already been started by session.auto-start or session_start()
Backtrace:

#0 /var/www/html/piwik/libs/Zend/Session/Namespace.php(116): Zend_Session::start(true)
#1 /var/www/html/piwik/plugins/LanguagesManager/LanguagesManager.php(129): Zend_Session_Namespace->__construct(‘LanguagesManage…’)
#2 /var/www/html/piwik/plugins/LanguagesManager/LanguagesManager.php(96): Piwik_LanguagesManager::getLanguageFromPreferences()
#3 /var/www/html/piwik/plugins/LanguagesManager/LanguagesManager.php(51): Piwik_LanguagesManager::getLanguageCodeForCurrentUser()
#4 [internal function]: Piwik_LanguagesManager->getLanguageToLoad(Object(Piwik_Event_Notification))
#5 /var/www/html/piwik/libs/Event/Dispatcher.php(284): call_user_func_array(Array, Array)
#6 /var/www/html/piwik/core/PluginsManager.php(491): Event_Dispatcher->postNotification(Object(Piwik_Event_Notification), true, false)
#7 /var/www/html/piwik/core/Translate.php(76): Piwik_PostEvent(‘Translate.getLa…’, NULL)
#8 /var/www/html/piwik/core/Translate.php(43): Piwik_Translate->getLanguageToLoad()
#9 /var/www/html/piwik/core/FrontController.php(230): Piwik_Translate->loadUserTranslation()
#10 /var/www/html/piwik/index.php(52): Piwik_FrontController->init()
#11 {main}

I am running on a linux box. I tried restarting apache and mysql, but that didn’t seem to change anything.

Mysql info:
mysql Ver 14.7 Distrib 4.1.22, for pc-linux-gnu (i686) using readline 4.3

Apache info:
Server version: Apache/2.0.52
Server built: Jun 29 2007 05:07:13

I searched through the developer issue system and didn’t find the bug. I wasn’t sure if I should just file it there.

The issue only appears to be with the admin software, at least the call to piwik.php when I view a page on my site is returning a 200 in the logs.

Do I need to upgrade Zend? I tried creating tmp/logs in my piwik directory, but no output was put there.

Thanks for some great software!

Dan

2

Sorry, this is fixed in svn and will be released in the next update/build. It is non-fatal and can be safely ignored.

3

Hi,

Do you know when a release is expected? I can’t get to my reports right now–is there a work around?

Thanks.

4

After some discussion, this is now a wontfix.

Create a .htaccess with the following rule:

php_flag session.auto_start off

Or disable it php.ini.

5

Great, thanks. This fixed worked fine for me.

Cheers.

6

Hello,

i got the same problem:

session has already been started by session.auto-start or session_start()
Backtrace:

#0 /var/www/vhosts/nowakom.net/subdomains/Michael/httpdocs/piwik/libs/Zend/Session/Namespace.php(116): Zend_Session::start(true)
#1 /var/www/vhosts/nowakom.net/subdomains/Michael/httpdocs/piwik/plugins/LanguagesManager/API.php(178): Zend_Session_Namespace->__construct(‘Piwik_Languages…’)
#2 /var/www/vhosts/nowakom.net/subdomains/Michael/httpdocs/piwik/plugins/LanguagesManager/LanguagesManager.php(136): Piwik_LanguagesManager_API::getLanguageForSession()
#3 /var/www/vhosts/nowakom.net/subdomains/Michael/httpdocs/piwik/plugins/LanguagesManager/LanguagesManager.php(103): Piwik_LanguagesManager::getLanguageFromPreferences()
#4 /var/www/vhosts/nowakom.net/subdomains/Michael/httpdocs/piwik/plugins/LanguagesManager/LanguagesManager.php(62): Piwik_LanguagesManager::getLanguageCodeForCurrentUser()
#5 [internal function]: Piwik_LanguagesManager->getLanguageToLoad(Object(Piwik_Event_Notification))
#6 /var/www/vhosts/nowakom.net/subdomains/Michael/httpdocs/piwik/libs/Event/Dispatcher.php(282): call_user_func_array(Array, Array)
#7 /var/www/vhosts/nowakom.net/subdomains/Michael/httpdocs/piwik/core/PluginsManager.php(501): Event_Dispatcher->postNotification(Object(Piwik_Event_Notification), true, false)
#8 /var/www/vhosts/nowakom.net/subdomains/Michael/httpdocs/piwik/core/Translate.php(76): Piwik_PostEvent(‘Translate.getLa…’, NULL)
#9 /var/www/vhosts/nowakom.net/subdomains/Michael/httpdocs/piwik/core/Translate.php(43): Piwik_Translate->getLanguageToLoad()
#10 /var/www/vhosts/nowakom.net/subdomains/Michael/httpdocs/piwik/core/FrontController.php(230): Piwik_Translate->loadUserTranslation()
#11 /var/www/vhosts/nowakom.net/subdomains/Michael/httpdocs/piwik/index.php(57): Piwik_FrontController->init()
#12 {main}

i created a “.htaccess” with just one line:
“php_flag session.auto_start off” and took it to the piwik-root.

is this correct? nothing happend … still the same prob.
I have no access to php.ini … it’s an provider-webspace style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif

need help.

greetings
cappy

7

cappy: your hosting provider might allow you to override this using a php.ini file in your hosting account’s home directory.

8

Hello,

just nearly 3 weeks later the support did answer me.
the “php_flag session.auto_start off” ist set on the server.
I used php-info to check it.

it is right … but the problem is still the same.
what shall i do?

thx
cappy

9

cappy: That shouldn’t be possible looking at the Zend Session code. What do you have session.save_handler and session.save_path set to?

10

Hello,

session.save_handler is "files"
session.save_path is “/var/lib/php5”

is this okay?

thx cappy

11

Sorry, cappy. It appears the problem is that your host is running php 5.2.0. According to the ZF guys, there’s a bug in php 5.2.0 that prevents Zend_Session from working.

See point #4 of:

“http://framework.zend.com/wiki/display/ZFDEV2/Zend_Session+2.0”

12

hey,

thanks for this quickly reply.
My english is noct very well, so it’s hard to understand the text at your posted link.
It seems, i have to whait for a php-fix and for my provider updateing php!?

Is it right?

thx cappy

13

Yes. Your host needs to update to a newer version of php.

14

Hi,
my Provider can’t, may don’t wants, to up- or downgrade the PHP-Version.
Is it possible to DOWNGRADE Piwik by a routine without re-install the complete system?

The former version of piwik was running good.

thx cappy

P.S.: Don’t be scared of my english. I think it’s terrible, bin I try my best.

15

You could try commenting out the Zend_Session::start(true) call in libs/Zend/Session/Namespace.php …

If you want to rollback to an older, unsupported version, check out http://builds.piwik.org

16

I have also a similar problem. I wanted to install Piwik 0.5.4 an a new site. It’s hosted at the same server (shared hosting) as our other site. At the other site I have Piwik 0.4.5 running with no problems. I also tried 0.4.5 at the new site but I get the same error as with 0.5.4:

Fatal error: Uncaught exception 'Zend_Session_Exception' with message 'session has already been started by session.auto-start or session_start()' in /home/xxxxx/htmldocs/piwik/libs/Zend/Session.php:462 Stack trace: #0 /home/xxxxx/htmldocs/piwik/index.php(89): Zend_Session::start() #1 {main} thrown in /home/xxxxxx/htmldocs/piwik/libs/Zend/Session.php on line 462

I tried the .htaccess with “php_flag session.auto_start off” but it doesn’t help. I have no access to the php.ini. It’s curious that Piwik works at our other site and not at the new one at the same server.