Write to settings.php from api

emrys · 9 May 2019 20:59

emoncms/emoncms/blob/46205914202107bb5b7042a30227a50a82b86e81/Modules/admin/admin_controller.php#L464

    
      
          }
          else if ($route->action === 'loglevel' && $session['write']) {
              // current values
              $success = false;
              $css_class = $log_level_css[$log_level];
              $log_level_name = $log_levels[$log_level];
              $message = '';
          
          
    if ($route->method === 'POST') {
                  if(!empty(post('level'))) {
                      if (is_file($path_to_config) && is_writable($path_to_config)) {
                          $level = intval(post('level'));
                          if(array_key_exists($level, $log_levels)) {
                              // load the settings.php as text file
                              $file = file_get_contents($path_to_config);
                              $matches = array();
                              // replace the value of the $log_level variable
                              preg_match('/^\s+\$log_level = (.*)$/m', $file, $matches);
                              if(!empty($matches)) {
                                  $file = str_replace($matches[1], $level.';', $file);
                                  file_put_contents($path_to_config, $file);

I recently added an endpoint /admin/loglevel.json that directly edits the $log_level option in settings.php. (line highlighted above)

This only works if the settings.php file is given write access to the apache user (www-data). This would enable a user to increase or decrease the number of emoncms log entries without having to access the settings file directly via a terminal or file browser. This would not have been easily done on the old emonpi as the file systems was read only by default.

Could this be a stupid move?? If anybody can see issues with directly writing to the settings.php from the api please let me know.

This could be extended to set the other default settings in default.settings.php from the api and create a method to allow users to fill in any of the values within the web application. (eg. an install wizard.)

This ties into with other discussions regarding managing the settings file:-

split / re-structure settings : Introduce a hierarchical settings file structure · Issue #923 · emoncms/emoncms · GitHub
move location : Move data & settings file to a common location?
file format Initial comit of hierarchical ini files to replace settings.php by borpin · Pull Request #1010 · emoncms/emoncms · GitHub

borpin · 9 May 2019 21:59

Also

Hierarchical settings php Hierarchical settings php by TrystanLea · Pull Request #1098 · emoncms/emoncms · GitHub
Initial comit of hierarchical ini files to replace settings.php Initial comit of hierarchical ini files to replace settings.php by borpin · Pull Request #1010 · emoncms/emoncms · GitHub

There was some discussion about not having writeable files in the www folder somewhere.