Trying to install IonCube Loader on PHP 7.4 on Azure App Service Linux

Question

Hi All,

I am trying to install IonCube Loader on an Azure App Service Linux instance. I have followed all the instructions on customizing the PHP_INI_SYSTEM directives and enabling PHP extensions. While IonCube is loading in, my web app fails to start and I get :( Application Error. I check the logs and here is what I get:

2021-01-05T04:36:29.101705544Z [05-Jan-2021 04:36:29 UTC] PHP Fatal error: [ionCube Loader] The Loader must appear as the first entry in the php.ini file in Unknown on line 0

Zend extension opcache is loading before ioncube which is causing this error. Trouble is, I can't figure out how to get around this. Most of the guides on the web are for a windows environment. The application I need to run must be hosted in a Linux environment for support by the company.

Any suggestions? I even was able to get ioncube to run on a windows environment and while I am sure the app would run fine I would rather have it hosted in a Linux environment.

Jake

Answer 1

(Google translate)

I just had the opportunity to use Azure Web App and have a PHP script that uses Ioncube Loader to compile and I encountered the same problem. Same solution as @Anonymous answered. but would like to expand further It might be easier to understand.

I use Azure Web App (Linux) + PHP 7.4.

1. Go to download ioncube loader ( Linux (64 bits) ) from https://www.ioncube.com/loaders.php.
2. extract ioncube_loaders_lin_x86-64.tar.gz

Upload php extension file ioncube_loader_lin_7.4.so

1. ftp to Azure Web App server
2. At the path /site
3. create folder php-ext
4. upload ioncube_loader_lin_7.4.so to this path
5. You will get file path /home/site/php-ext/ioncube_loader_lin_7.4.so

Create custom php ini file named 00-ioncube-loader.ini contain

zend_extension=/home/site/php-ext/ioncube_loader_lin_7.4.so

1. ftp to Azure Web App server
2. At the path /site
3. create folder php-ini
4. upload 00-ioncube-loader.ini here
5. You will get the file path /home/site/php-ini/00-ioncube-loader.ini

Create startup.sh script file contain

#!/bin/bash
cp -a /home/site/php-ini/00-ioncube-loader.ini /usr/local/etc/php/conf.d/

1. ftp to Azure Web App server
2. At the path /site
3. create folder sh-script
4. upload startup.sh to here
5. You will get file path /home/site/sh-script/startup.sh

Add startup command to Azure Web App

sh /home/site/sh-script/startup.sh

Answer 2

anonymous userlagle-8994, Thanks for posting this good question.

I understand you have already added PHP extensions and customizing PHP.INI. If you haven't done this already, please add a bin directory to the root directory of your app and put the .so extension files in it and add a Startup script (step 3).
Configure Custom runtime in php.ini: https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/app-service/web-sites-php-configure (how-to- use-a-custom-php-runtime) (Azure App Service Linux)

Users facing similar issue rectified the problem by following these steps (I understand you have already gone through a couple of steps here), please review and try the steps and let us know how it goes:

1.**Create a **php.ini file with the following content under /home/site:

Kindly modify the location of ".so" file as per your WebApp.
You can copy the files in any location under /home.
If the file is under /home/site, the ini file should have -> zend_extension=/home/site/ioncube_loader_lin_7.4.so, for example.]

2.Create a startup file, example (start.sh). At this, you can copy the php.ini in the previous step to /usr/local/etc/php.
Note: We are using a startup script since the files which are not under /home will not persist when the WebApp is restarted

3.**Configure this **startup script from Configurations blade of the WebApp, so that the script runs when the container starts:

4.If feasible, restart the WebApp and verify using php -v command – to verify if the extensions are loaded.

Note: The best way to see the PHP version and the current php.ini configuration is to call phpinfo in your app.

Kindly checkout these doc for additional info:

Install ionCube Loader extension for PHP site on Azure App : https://learn.microsoft.com/archive/blogs/azureossds/install-ioncube-loader-extension-for-php-site-on-azure-app (Old blog, similar steps works).

You may try the step-by-step process on adding PHP extensions on Azure App Service Linux in the article below:
https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/app-service/configure-language-php?pivots=platform-linux#enable-php-extensions (Azure App Service Linux)

Kindly let us know how it goes, I'll follow-up with you further.