PHP $_SESSION Problem

[Alex R4]

Hello,

I have written some php functions to make my life a bit easier constructing html pages.
I have unit-tested these php functions locally using XAMPP, Apache, php on localhost. All good.
I uploaded these functions into the appropriate domain area which are hosted by a service provider using WHM and cPanel. All good.

I added some login functionality using php for session control.
Again, unit-tested the functionality on localhost (XAMPP,Apache,php). All good.

Uploaded the php functions into the domain and session control problems occured.
The problem in detail:
It seems that the controlling web infrastucture does not pass on the full session information to the application php.
I found that on each HTTP request a new session_id has been issued to my php environment by someone-up-higher. By whom, I don't know.
Therefore, the login information I added at the previous request into $_SESSION has been lost.
I contacted tech-support, they were responsive and very helpful, but, problem not resolved.

Every time I call a page, I get the following two warnings, followed by the login UI:

Warning: session_start() [function.session-start]: Cannot send session cookie - headers already sent by
(output started at /home/example/public_html/dev/phpTest/index.php:1) in
/home/example/public_html/dev/phpTest/util/login.php on line 5

Warning: session_start() [function.session-start]: Cannot send session cache limiter - headers already sent
(output started at /home/example/public_html/dev/phpTest/index.php:1) in
/home/example/public_html/dev/phpTest/util/login.php on line 5

Here are the first few lines of login.php:

<?php

function login_create($pageName) {

session_start(); // this is line 5 of login.php

if (array_key_exists('app_login', $_SESSION )) {
if ($_SESSION['app_login'] === true) {
return;
}
}

if (authent_bypass() === true ) {
$_SESSION['app_login'] = true;
return;
}
...
some more code displaying login UI.
...



I have no experiences in virtual infrastructure and here are my questions:

Is there a setting in Apache, or any other component higher-up which prevents HTTP headers to be passed-on in full to the application?
Which component might be responsible for suppressing returning HTTP headers and instead issuing new session_ids everytime a new request comes in?

Any hint or help would be appreciated.

[Alex R4]

Hello again,

I posted the problem in another forum as well and some one posted the solution:

Leafred writes...

l think the page phpTest/index.php has a little problem. make sure <?php starts at the very beginning of the page, no any space before it.


That's it. There was only one tiny little SPACE character in front of <?php.

Also, while I was cleaning up, php doesn't like trailing spaces after the terminating ?> either. Same warning message.

Thank you very much. Life is good again.