Aletia had a cool setup where you could check the condition of each of their servers...the amount of memory used, the amount of hard disk space used, server load averages, etc.

Is there any way to check server load averages on other servers? Is there some sort of script you can run to display server load averages?

You'll find this (http://home.de-neef.net/apps/stats/projectpage.html) interesting.


Lats...

If you are serious about it, you would want to get Big Brother (www.bb4.com) or the free and functionally equivalent Big Sister (http://bigsister.graeff.com/)

This script does what you are looking for too - http://phpsysinfo.sourceforge.net/

Elena - Phpsysinfo is what Aletia used. Thanks.
Doesn't look like phpsysinfo can report any info if you run this from an account on a shared server though.

You can run the script off any shared/virtual account actually, your webhost just might not have the needed config. for PHP. In the install it says:make sure your 'php.ini' file's include_path entry contains "." Just ask your host to make that change for you and you will be able to run the script. Another thing is php's safe_mode has to be disabled. Both things I think most hosts would be willing to adjust for a client. :)

Originally posted by Elena
Another thing is php's safe_mode has to be disabled. Both things I think most hosts would be willing to adjust for a client. :)
Sorry Elena. Any host that runs without PHP safe_mode on these days is just being downright irresponsible. You might aswell be giving root access to each user. PHP can be dealy in the wrong hands.

Especially with that new advisory that came out a few weeks ago. You can diable safe_mode for trusted clients but I wouldn't bother giving someone the power to kill your box for $5. ;)

Originally posted by NexDog

Sorry Elena. Any host that runs without PHP safe_mode on these days is just being downright irresponsible. You might aswell be giving root access to each user. PHP can be dealy in the wrong hands.

Especially with that new advisory that came out a few weeks ago. You can diable safe_mode for trusted clients but I wouldn't bother giving someone the power to kill your box for $5. ;)

That's FUD. Don't run PHP as root, of course. PHP can only do things users can already do with CGI or with any other process they start. The only minor exception is that PHP is often built into Apache as a module, and even that doesn't gain you much, since the Apache children run as user "nobody".

Kevin

Hahahaha,

Was that a joke?

I think that it's true that most hosts probably aren't going to disable safe mode in php for you.

It's true that using mod_php not in safe mode only allows you to execute commands as the same user that the webserver runs as. Generally, this is not real dangerous.

However, they may be able to overwrite some important files and browse other user's directories in a shared hosting environment. Although this isn't real dangerous, it is dangerous.

Anyway, our control panel shows the user what server their account is hosted on, and load average information and the like.

I would expect most hosts that don't "offer" you this information in a control panel or something would hopefully prevent you from running any commands to get it.

If you have shell access there you may try "top" command. You'll server load perfectly..

Originally posted by Miha
If you have shell access there you may try "top" command. You'll server load perfectly..

Or uptime, or w, or any code that calls getloadavg(), or various Linuxisms in /proc, and so forth.

But there seems to be a strong tendency towards being paranoid about perfectly reasonable information like this, and trying to restrict users in ways that are basically unnecessary. I'm not complaining, nor thinking of anyone in particular; I just find it curious.

Kevin

Hmm, is there a CGI script then that can display load averages (and over server info if possible)?

Originally posted by Janet
Hmm, is there a CGI script then that can display load averages (and over server info if possible)?

Sysinfo:
http://phpsysinfo.sourceforge.net/

You could also try: phasi (http://www.technojuice.com/phasi/), from reading their install file it doesn't look like it requires anything to be adjusted. Just upload and run.

As for "Any host that runs without PHP safe_mode on these days is just being downright irresponsible." I don't agree that it is irresponsible and if you check around most host don't have this on, allowing cgi and php alone is a security risk, but this isn't the topic of the thread... this can be left to be discussed some other day on some other thread. :rolleyes:

There's also demarc which is quite detailed and more advanced.

Originally posted by sigma
...But there seems to be a strong tendency towards being paranoid about perfectly reasonable information like this, and trying to restrict users in ways that are basically unnecessary. I'm not complaining, nor thinking of anyone in particular; I just find it curious.

I think that at least on a shared web hosting server, the users should only be executing commands related to the publishing and management of their web site and email. That's what they have access for, not administering the server.

I'm sure that some users are curious of this information, as I would be, but it's pretty common to only allow users to do what they need to do, in a multiuser environment.

From an administrator's standpoint, the user is being paranoid about not having access to this information. But as a user, I can see that it seems as if the administrator is being paranoid.

Just my $0.02.