Openshift environment variables don't exist - php

Question

I've added a MySQL cartridge to a install and can see the environment variables when running php through the CLI interface..
php -r 'echo $_SERVER["OPENSHIFT_MYSQL_DB_HOST"];'
// 127.2.234.2
However when calling the same variable through the web interface the variable is not set. I've restarted both apache and the entire app through rhc app restart
Related:
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/24434922/apache-on-openshift-undefine-environment-variables

Answer 1

You have been told not to hard code the IP Address as it will change.
eg https://developers.openshift.com/en/managing-environment-variables.html
But when you run your script on your website the IP Address is missing.
<?php
print(getenv('PHPRC'));
print('<p>');
print(getenv('OPENSHIFT_MYSQL_DB_HOST'));
?>
You get this. The IP Address is Missing.
/var/lib/openshift/xxf1b5b94382ec898b00xxxx/php/configuration/etc/php.ini
Instead of
/var/lib/openshift/xxf1b5b94382ec898b00xxxx/php/configuration/etc/php.ini
127.5.nnn.nnn
This may be because you have not used Git to push files onto your server.
You may have been like me (a luddite?) and preferred sftp for my simple website.
Steps needed - if you are not familiar with git
Look on your OpenShift website, the Applications tab, Source Code
ssh://xxf1b5b94382ec898b00xxxx#xxxx-xxxxx.rhcloud.com/~/git/php.git/
This assumes you have git installed locally.
This takes a copy of your OpenShift git repository off the server and puts it on your local machine.
git clone ssh://xxf1b5b94382ec898b00xxxx#pappname.rhcloud.com/~/git/php.git/
Cloning into 'php'...
remote: Counting objects: 19, done.
remote: Compressing objects: 100% (13/13), done.
remote: Total 19 (delta 2), reused 19 (delta 2)
Receiving objects: 100% (19/19), 18.17 KiB | 0 bytes/s, done.
Resolving deltas: 100% (2/2), done.
Checking connectivity... done.
copy a few files into php subfolder it has created on your local machine
$ git add .
$ git commit -m "A change to my application"]
$ git push
This will restart your application and mysql.
Counting objects: 3, done.
Delta compression using up to 2 threads.
Compressing objects: 100% (3/3), done.
Writing objects: 100% (3/3), 2.80 KiB | 0 bytes/s, done.
Total 3 (delta 1), reused 0 (delta 0)
remote: Stopping PHP 5.4 cartridge (Apache+mod_php)
remote: Waiting for stop to finish
remote: Waiting for stop to finish
remote: Stopping MySQL 5.5 cartridge
remote: Stopping PHPMyAdmin cartridge
remote: Waiting for stop to finish
remote: Waiting for stop to finish
remote: Building git ref 'master', commit 092cd25
remote: Checking .openshift/pear.txt for PEAR dependency...
remote: Preparing build for deployment
remote: Deployment id is e7791836
remote: Activating deployment
remote: Starting MySQL 5.5 cartridge
remote: Starting PHPMyAdmin cartridge
remote: Starting PHP 5.4 cartridge (Apache+mod_php)
remote: Application directory "/" selected as DocumentRoot
remote: -------------------------
remote: Git Post-Receive Result: success
remote: Activation status: success
remote: Deployment completed with status: success
Now your environment variable will work correctly.
Yes, sftp is probably quicker.