On 17/04/10 10:15, Bernard wrote:
Thanks for your help Monique. I hadn't thought of that, but it makes sense that the ISP only allows one user to log into databases. Problem is that outside users will have to connect to my database through a php script that will contain my password !
That is normal. If your users can enter data, then the script must have at least some write privileges on the database.
In the real world, you deal with the security aspect by placing the password (and database and user names) in a second php script outside the web server's document root, so that no web request can return it. Apache will normally be configured not to allow download of scripts, even when a user knows the right filename, but placing the script outside the directory tree which apache can reach adds to security. You 'require' this mini-script in the main php script, which must of course be placed within the web document tree. While apache cannot reach outside its docroot, php/perl/etc. can, though with the same permissions that apache runs under.
In order to achieve this, you need write access to that directory tree above apache's docroot, with the ability to set permissions correctly. From what you say, it does not seem that you have that with your current ISP. You would seem to need to spend some money, even before you are sure you will have the access you need.
>By the way, just in case I would decide to subscribe to pair.com, >would you know if it is possible to subscribe for a short time, 3 >months for instance ? I know of an ISP in Switzerland that is quite a >bit cheaper, but then you have to subscribe for at least two years (80 >Euros for the first year, 120 Euros for each following year)
1&1 appears to offer a 60-day guarantee which may meet your needs:"The 1&1 60-Day Money Back Guarantee applies to the Instant Mail and Beginner packages as well as all shared hosting, Virtual Server and eShop packages. You will receive a full refund of the fees if you are not completely satisfied within 60 days' of the activation of your package. Guarantee starts on the date of initial registration of the contract number.
"There is no refund for packages ordered with the software bundle, software shipping and handling fees, domain name registration fees, or any unused bandwidth. 1&1 considers that customers upgrading from an existing package have already experienced the 60-Day Money Back Guarantee. In addition, each customer can only use the Money Back Guarantee once, and for only one contract number per account."
In practice, you'll need to pay a small amount for shipping of documentation and to register at least one domain name, so you wouldn't get much back out of two months' payment, but you wouldn't be tied into a long contract.
I'm on the Business Pro package, at GBP 15 per month, most of which I can charge on to customers. There's a Business at GBP 9 per month, about the same as your Swiss one, which offers two 100MB MySQL databases plus perl and PHP. It doesn't have ssh access to the server, but I've very rarely used that. It also doesn't have cron scripts, but I've never used them. If you need something timed, you can write it into a script and call it as a web page on a timed basis from outside.
As I recall, you don't need ssh access to install phpmyadmin, it's just another web script. You FTP the files to a suitable directory. You need to give phpmyadmin the local address and port number of the MySQL server. Certainly, you are free to create users at various privilege levels, you have full control of the databases. You can then logon to phpmyadmin using any of the MySQL user credentials, though normally you will be doing administration and you will use the root logon.
-- Joe