Syntax error on line 31 of /etc/httpd/conf.d/php.conf in Plesk resolved with a little help from our experts. 

At Bobcares, we offer solutions for every query, big and small, as a part of our Server Management Service.

Let’s take a look at how our Support Team recently helped a customer  resolve the syntax error in the configuration file in Plesk.

What is “Syntax error on line 31 of /etc/httpd/conf.d/php.conf“ in Plesk

Have you been coming across a Syntax error message in the configuration file in Plesk recently? If yes, you may have also noticed one of the following symptoms:

• • Error message on the Plesk Home page:

    
  • We have to install System PHP manually from the OS repositories via the system package manager:

    tail /var/log/yum.log
    Dec 11 02:37:19 Installed: libzip-0.10.1-8.el7.x86_64
    Dec 11 02:37:19 Installed: php-common-5.4.16-48.el7.x86_64
    Dec 11 02:37:20 Installed: php-cli-5.4.16-48.el7.x86_64
    Dec 11 02:37:20 Installed: php-pdo-5.4.16-48.el7.x86_64
    Dec 11 02:37:20 Installed: t1lib-5.1.2-14.el7.x86_64
    Dec 11 02:37:20 Installed: php-gd-5.4.16-48.el7.x86_64
    Dec 11 02:37:20 Installed: php-mysql-5.4.16-48.el7.x86_64
    Dec 11 02:37:20 Installed: php-5.4.16-48.el7.x86_64
    Dec 11 02:37:20 Installed: php-ldap-5.4.16-48.el7.x86_64
    
    # history | grep php
    yum install php php-mcrypt php-cli php-gd php-curl php-mysql php-ldap php-zip php-fileinfo

According to our experienced Support Team, this error is due to PHP package in OS repositories with incorrect syntax. Moreover, this causes Plesk to demonstrate the symptoms seen above.

# tail -5 /etc/httpd/conf.d/php.conf
# Apache specific PHP configuration options
# those can be override in each configured vhost
#
php_value session.save_handler "files"
php_value session.save_path "/var/lib/php/session"

Fortunately, modifying these parameters and adding the <IfModule mod_php5.c> tags will help us stay clear of this error.

How to resolve Syntax error on line 31 of configuration file in Plesk

Our Support Techs have come up with a way to resolve this error easily:

1. First, we have to connect to the server using SSH.
2. Then, we will create a backup of the configuration file with the command below:

   # cp /etc/httpd/conf.d/php.conf{,.orig}
3. Then, we have to open the cp /etc/httpd/conf.d/php.conf{,.orig} and add the tags. We can open the file via any text editor and edit the syntax in order to include the tags:

   Before editing:

   php_value session.save_handler "files"
   php_value session.save_path "/var/lib/php/session"

   After editing:

   <IfModule mod_php5.c>
   php_value session.save_handler "files"
   php_value session.save_path    "/var/lib/php/session"
   </IfModule>

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Conclusion

In conclusion, the skilled Support Engineers at Bobcares demonstrated how to deal with the syntax error in the configuration file in Plesk by modifying the file and adding the <IfModule mod_php5.c> tags.