Lighttpd's fastcgi module assumes php5-cgi is installed

[Gustavo Narea]

By default, when this module is enabled it assumes php5-cgi is installed, which makes Lighty crash *with* *no* *warning* if php5-cgi is not installed.

You should either make php5-cgi a dependency of lighttpd or just don't assume it's installed (in config file /etc/lighttpd/conf-enabled/10-fastcgi.conf).

I'm using Hardy.

[Santiago Zarate (foursixnine)]

2008-06-26 20:48:54: (log.c.75) server started
2008-06-26 21:25:32: (server.c.1475) server stopped by UID = 0 PID = 8807
2008-06-26 21:25:59: (log.c.75) server started
2008-06-26 21:25:59: (mod_fastcgi.c.1029) the fastcgi-backend /usr/bin/php-cgi failed to start:
2008-06-26 21:25:59: (mod_fastcgi.c.1033) child exited with status 9 /usr/bin/php-cgi
2008-06-26 21:25:59: (mod_fastcgi.c.1036) If you're trying to run PHP as a FastCGI backend, make sure you're using the FastCGI-enabled version.
You can find out if it is the right one by executing 'php -v' and it should display '(cgi-fcgi)' in the output, NOT '(cgi)' NOR '(cli)'.
For more information, check http://trac.lighttpd.net/trac/wiki/Docs%3AModFastCGI#preparing-php-as-a-fastcgi-programIf this is PHP on Gentoo, add 'fastcgi' to the USE flags.
2008-06-26 21:25:59: (mod_fastcgi.c.1340) [ERROR]: spawning fcgi failed.
2008-06-26 21:25:59: (server.c.908) Configuration of plugins failed. Going down.

[Santiago Zarate (foursixnine)]

As the log shows above... i will mark this bug as confirmed...

[sebastian-s (sebastian-s)]

This bug is still valid in Ubuntu 10.04 LTS.
A plain install of lighttp does not work, it quits with the following error log:

2010-09-16 23:08:26: (log.c.166) server started
2010-09-16 23:08:26: (mod_fastcgi.c.1104) the fastcgi-backend /usr/bin/php-cgi failed to start:
2010-09-16 23:08:26: (mod_fastcgi.c.1108) child exited with status 2 /usr/bin/php-cgi
2010-09-16 23:08:26: (mod_fastcgi.c.1111) If you're trying to run your app as a FastCGI backend, make sure you're using the FastCGI-enabled version.
If this is PHP on Gentoo, add 'fastcgi' to the USE flags.
2010-09-16 23:08:26: (mod_fastcgi.c.1399) [ERROR]: spawning fcgi failed.
2010-09-16 23:08:26: (server.c.931) Configuration of plugins failed. Going down.

[sebastian-s (sebastian-s)]

possible dupe of bug #236105

[Michael Schuett (michaeljs1990)]

This is still true in ubuntu 14.04 and 16.04

[gstrauss (gstrauss)]

FYI: lighttpd 1.4.44 now emits more explicit error trace to the log if the target backend executable or script is not present.

https://redmine.lighttpd.net/projects/lighttpd/repository/revisions/f9737e50a6118203398d0c97959af5adced60018

However, it would still be nice if dependency on php-cgi were added to ubuntu lighttpd package since ubuntu lighttpd package ships with mod_fastcgi and is configured to use php-cgi in /etc/lighttpd/conf-enabled/10-fastcgi.conf

[gstrauss (gstrauss)]

debian/1.4.53-1
https://salsa.debian.org/debian/lighttpd/-/commit/fab90df41b35c25d3c0417b8459af5894c42a389

[gstrauss (gstrauss)]

lighttpd 1.4.59 is part of Ubuntu 21.04 (Hirsute Hippo)