.. _setup:
Installation
============
phpMyAdmin does not apply any special security methods to the MySQL
database server. It is still the system administrator's job to grant
permissions on the MySQL databases properly. phpMyAdmin's :guilabel:`Users`
page can be used for this.
.. warning::
:term:`Mac` users should note that if you are on a version before
:term:`Mac OS X`, StuffIt unstuffs with :term:`Mac` formats. So you'll have
to resave as in BBEdit to Unix style ALL phpMyAdmin scripts before
uploading them to your server, as PHP seems not to like :term:`Mac`-style
end of lines character ("``\r``").
Linux distributions
+++++++++++++++++++
phpMyAdmin is included in most Linux distributions. It is recommended to use
distribution packages when possible - they usually provide integration to your
distribution and you will automatically get security updates from your distribution.
Debian
------
Debian's package repositories include a phpMyAdmin package, but be aware that
the configuration file is maintained in ``/etc/phpmyadmin`` and may differ in
some ways from the official phpMyAdmin documentation.
OpenSUSE
--------
OpenSUSE already comes with phpMyAdmin package, just install packages from
the `openSUSE Build Service <http://software.opensuse.org/package/phpMyAdmin>`_.
Ubuntu
------
Ubuntu ships phpMyAdmin package, however if you want to use recent version, you
can use packages from
`PPA for Michal Čihař <https://launchpad.net/~nijel/+archive/phpmyadmin>`_.
Gentoo
------
Gentoo ships the phpMyAdmin package, both in a near stock configuration as well
as in a ``webapp-config`` configuration. Use ``emerge dev-db/phpmyadmin`` to
install.
Mandriva
--------
Mandriva ships the phpMyAdmin package in their ``contrib`` branch and can be
installed via the usual Control Center.
Fedora
------
Fedora ships the phpMyAdmin package, but be aware that the configuration file
is maintained in ``/etc/phpMyAdmin/`` and may differ in some ways from the
official phpMyAdmin documentation.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux
------------------------
Red Hat Enterprise Linux itself and thus derivatives like CentOS don't
ship phpMyAdmin, but the Fedora-driven repository
`Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux (EPEL) <http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/EPEL>`_
is doing so, if it's
`enabled <http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/EPEL/FAQ#howtouse>`_.
But be aware that the configuration file is maintained in
``/etc/phpMyAdmin/`` and may differ in some ways from the
official phpMyAdmin documentation.
Installing on Windows
+++++++++++++++++++++
The easiest way to get phpMyAdmin on Windows is using third party products
which include phpMyAdmin together with a database and web server such as
`XAMPP <http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp.html>`_.
You can find more of such options at `Wikipedia <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_AMP_packages>`_.
.. _quick_install:
Quick Install
+++++++++++++
#. Choose an appropriate distribution kit from the phpmyadmin.net
Downloads page. Some kits contain only the English messages, others
contain all languages. We'll assume you chose a kit whose name
looks like ``phpMyAdmin-x.x.x -all-languages.tar.gz``.
#. Untar or unzip the distribution (be sure to unzip the subdirectories):
``tar -xzvf phpMyAdmin_x.x.x-all-languages.tar.gz`` in your
webserver's document root. If you don't have direct access to your
document root, put the files in a directory on your local machine,
and, after step 4, transfer the directory on your web server using,
for example, ftp.
#. Ensure that all the scripts have the appropriate owner (if PHP is
running in safe mode, having some scripts with an owner different from
the owner of other scripts will be a problem). See :ref:`faq4_2` and
:ref:`faq1_26` for suggestions.
#. Now you must configure your installation. There are two methods that
can be used. Traditionally, users have hand-edited a copy of
:file:`config.inc.php`, but now a wizard-style setup script is provided
for those who prefer a graphical installation. Creating a
:file:`config.inc.php` is still a quick way to get started and needed for
some advanced features.
Manually creating the file
--------------------------
To manually create the file, simply use your text editor to create the
file :file:`config.inc.php` (you can copy :file:`config.sample.inc.php` to get
a minimal configuration file) in the main (top-level) phpMyAdmin
directory (the one that contains :file:`index.php`). phpMyAdmin first
loads :file:`libraries/config.default.php` and then overrides those values
with anything found in :file:`config.inc.php`. If the default value is
okay for a particular setting, there is no need to include it in
:file:`config.inc.php`. You'll probably need only a few directives to get going; a
simple configuration may look like this:
.. code-block:: xml+php
<?php
$cfg['blowfish_secret'] = 'ba17c1ec07d65003'; // use here a value of your choice
$i=0;
$i++;
$cfg['Servers'][$i]['auth_type'] = 'cookie';
?>
Or, if you prefer to not be prompted every time you log in:
.. code-block:: xml+php
<?php
$i=0;
$i++;
$cfg['Servers'][$i]['user'] = 'root';
$cfg['Servers'][$i]['password'] = 'cbb74bc'; // use here your password
$cfg['Servers'][$i]['auth_type'] = 'config';
?>
For a full explanation of possible configuration values, see the
:ref:`config` of this document.
.. index:: Setup script
.. _setup_script:
Using Setup script
------------------
Instead of manually editing :file:`config.inc.php`, you can use the `Setup
Script <setup/>`_. First you must manually create a folder ``config``
in the phpMyAdmin directory. This is a security measure. On a
Linux/Unix system you can use the following commands:
.. code-block:: sh
cd phpMyAdmin
mkdir config # create directory for saving
chmod o+rw config # give it world writable permissions
And to edit an existing configuration, copy it over first:
.. code-block:: sh
cp config.inc.php config/ # copy current configuration for editing
chmod o+w config/config.inc.php # give it world writable permissions
.. note::
Debian and Ubuntu have simplified this setup and all you need to do is to
execute :program:`/usr/sbin/pma-configure`.
On other platforms, simply create the folder and ensure that your web
server has read and write access to it. :ref:`faq1_26` can help with
this.
Next, open ``setup/`` in your browser. If you have an existing configuration,
use the ``Load`` button to bring its content inside the setup panel.
Note that **changes are not saved to disk until you explicitly choose ``Save``**
from the *Configuration* area of the screen. Normally the script saves the new
:file:`config.inc.php` to the ``config/`` directory, but if the webserver does
not have the proper permissions you may see the error "Cannot load or
save configuration." Ensure that the ``config/`` directory exists and
has the proper permissions - or use the ``Download`` link to save the
config file locally and upload it (via FTP or some similar means) to the
proper location.
Once the file has been saved, it must be moved out of the ``config/``
directory and the permissions must be reset, again as a security
measure:
.. code-block:: sh
mv config/config.inc.php . # move file to current directory
chmod o-rw config.inc.php # remove world read and write permissions
rm -rf config # remove not needed directory
.. note::
Debian and Ubuntu have simplified this setup and all you need to do is to
execute :program:`/usr/sbin/pma-secure`.
Now the file is ready to be used. You can choose to review or edit the
file with your favorite editor, if you prefer to set some advanced
options which the setup script does not provide.
#. If you are using the ``auth_type`` "config", it is suggested that you
protect the phpMyAdmin installation directory because using config
does not require a user to enter a password to access the phpMyAdmin
installation. Use of an alternate authentication method is
recommended, for example with HTTP–AUTH in a :term:`.htaccess` file or switch to using
``auth_type`` cookie or http. See the :ref:`faqmultiuser`
for additional information, especially :ref:`faq4_4`.
#. Open the `main phpMyAdmin directory <index.php>`_ in your browser.
phpMyAdmin should now display a welcome screen and your databases, or
a login dialog if using :term:`HTTP` or
cookie authentication mode.
#. You should deny access to the ``./libraries`` and ``./setup/lib``
subfolders in your webserver configuration.
Such configuration prevents from possible
path exposure and cross side scripting vulnerabilities that might
happen to be found in that code. For the Apache webserver, this is
often accomplished with a :term:`.htaccess` file in those directories.
#. It is generally a good idea to protect a public phpMyAdmin installation
against access by robots as they usually can not do anything good
there. You can do this using ``robots.txt`` file in root of your
webserver or limit access by web server configuration, see
:ref:`faq1_42`.
.. index::
single: Configuration storage
single: phpMyAdmin configuration storage
single: pmadb
.. _linked-tables:
phpMyAdmin configuration storage
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
For a whole set of additional features (bookmarks, comments, :term:`SQL`-history,
tracking mechanism, :term:`PDF`-generation, column contents transformation,
etc.) you need to create a set of special tables. Those tables can be located
in your own database, or in a central database for a multi-user installation
(this database would then be accessed by the controluser, so no other user
should have rights to it).
Zero configuration
------------------
In many cases, this database structure can be automatically created and
configured. This is called “Zero Configuration” mode and can be particularly
useful in shared hosting situations. “Zeroconf” mode is on by default, to
disable set :config:option:`$cfg['ZeroConf']` to false.
The following three scenarios are convered by the Zero Configuration mode:
* When entering a database where the configuration storage tables are not
present, phpMyAdmin offers to create them from the Operations tab.
* When entering a database where the tables do already exist, the software
automatically detects this and begins using them. This is the most common
situation; after the tables are initially created automatically they are
continually used without disturbing the user; this is also most useful on
shared hosting where the user is not able to edit :file:`config.inc.php` and
usually the user only has access to one database.
* When having access to multiple databases, if the user first enters the
database containing the configuration storage tables then switches to
another database,
phpMyAdmin continues to use the tables from the first database; the user is
not prompted to create more tables in the new database.
Manual configuration
--------------------
Please look at your ``./examples/`` directory, where you should find a
file called *create\_tables.sql*. (If you are using a Windows server,
pay special attention to :ref:`faq1_23`).
If you already had this infrastructure and:
* upgraded to MySQL 4.1.2 or newer, please use
:file:`examples/upgrade_tables_mysql_4_1_2+.sql`.
* upgraded to phpMyAdmin 4.3.0 or newer from 2.5.0 or newer (<= 4.2.x),
please use :file:`examples/upgrade_column_info_4_3_0+.sql`.
and then create new tables by importing :file:`examples/create_tables.sql`.
You can use your phpMyAdmin to create the tables for you. Please be
aware that you may need special (administrator) privileges to create
the database and tables, and that the script may need some tuning,
depending on the database name.
After having imported the :file:`examples/create_tables.sql` file, you
should specify the table names in your :file:`config.inc.php` file. The
directives used for that can be found in the :ref:`config`.
You will also need to have a controluser
(:config:option:`$cfg['Servers'][$i]['controluser']` and
:config:option:`$cfg['Servers'][$i]['controlpass']` settings)
with the proper rights to those tables. For example you can create it
using following statement:
.. code-block:: mysql
GRANT SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE ON <pma_db>.* TO 'pma'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'pmapass';
.. _upgrading:
Upgrading from an older version
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
**Never** extract the new version over an existing installation
of phpMyAdmin; we had evidence of problems caused by this.
Simply copy :file:`config.inc.php` from your previous installation into
the newly unpacked one. Configuration files from old versions may
require some tweaking as some options have been changed or removed.
For compatibility with PHP 5.3 and later, remove a
``set_magic_quotes_runtime(0);`` statement that you might find near
the end of your configuration file.
You should **not** copy :file:`libraries/config.default.php` over
:file:`config.inc.php` because the default configuration file is version-
specific.
If you have upgraded your MySQL server from a version previous to 4.1.2 to
version 5.x or newer and if you use the phpMyAdmin configuration storage, you
should run the :term:`SQL` script found in
:file:`examples/upgrade_tables_mysql_4_1_2+.sql`.
If you have upgraded your phpMyAdmin to 4.3.0 or newer from 2.5.0 or
newer (<= 4.2.x) and if you use the phpMyAdmin configuration storage, you
should run the :term:`SQL` script found in
:file:`examples/upgrade_column_info_4_3_0+.sql`.
.. index:: Authentication mode
.. _authentication_modes:
Using authentication modes
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
:term:`HTTP` and cookie authentication modes are recommended in a **multi-user
environment** where you want to give users access to their own database and
don't want them to play around with others. Nevertheless be aware that MS
Internet Explorer seems to be really buggy about cookies, at least till version
6. Even in a **single-user environment**, you might prefer to use :term:`HTTP`
or cookie mode so that your user/password pair are not in clear in the
configuration file.
:term:`HTTP` and cookie authentication
modes are more secure: the MySQL login information does not need to be
set in the phpMyAdmin configuration file (except possibly for the
:config:option:`$cfg['Servers'][$i]['controluser']`).
However, keep in mind that the password travels in plain text, unless
you are using the HTTPS protocol. In cookie mode, the password is
stored, encrypted with the AES algorithm, in a temporary cookie.
Then each of the *true* users should be granted a set of privileges
on a set of particular databases. Normally you shouldn't give global
privileges to an ordinary user, unless you understand the impact of those
privileges (for example, you are creating a superuser).
For example, to grant the user *real_user* with all privileges on
the database *user_base*:
.. code-block:: mysql
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON user_base.* TO 'real_user'@localhost IDENTIFIED BY 'real_password';
What the user may now do is controlled entirely by the MySQL user management
system. With HTTP or cookie authentication mode, you don't need to fill the
user/password fields inside the :config:option:`$cfg['Servers']`.
.. index:: pair: HTTP; Authentication mode
HTTP authentication mode
------------------------
* Uses :term:`HTTP` Basic authentication
method and allows you to log in as any valid MySQL user.
* Is supported with most PHP configurations. For :term:`IIS` (:term:`ISAPI`)
support using :term:`CGI` PHP see :ref:`faq1_32`, for using with Apache
:term:`CGI` see :ref:`faq1_35`.
* See also :ref:`faq4_4` about not using the :term:`.htaccess` mechanism along with
':term:`HTTP`' authentication mode.
.. index:: pair: Cookie; Authentication mode
.. _cookie:
Cookie authentication mode
--------------------------
* Username and password are stored in cookies during the session and password
is deleted when it ends.
* With this mode, the user can truly log out of phpMyAdmin and log
back in with the same username.
* If you want to allow users to enter any hostname to connect (rather than only
servers that are configured in :file:`config.inc.php`),
see the :config:option:`$cfg['AllowArbitraryServer']` directive.
* As mentioned in the :ref:`require` section, having the ``mcrypt`` extension will
speed up access considerably, but is not required.
.. index:: pair: Signon; Authentication mode
.. _auth_signon:
Signon authentication mode
--------------------------
* This mode is a convenient way of using credentials from another
application to authenticate to phpMyAdmin to implement signle signon
solution.
* The other application has to store login information into session
data (see :config:option:`$cfg['Servers'][$i]['SignonSession']`) or you
need to implement script to return the credentials (see
:config:option:`$cfg['Servers'][$i]['SignonScript']`).
* When no credentials are available, the user is being redirected to
:config:option:`$cfg['Servers'][$i]['SignonURL']`, where you should handle
the login process.
The very basic example of saving credentials in a session is available as
:file:`examples/signon.php`:
.. literalinclude:: ../examples/signon.php
:language: php
Alternatively you can also use this way to integrate with OpenID as shown
in :file:`examples/openid.php`:
.. literalinclude:: ../examples/openid.php
:language: php
If you intend to pass the credentials using some other means than, you have to
implement wrapper in PHP to get that data and set it to
:config:option:`$cfg['Servers'][$i]['SignonScript']`. There is very minimal example
in :file:`examples/signon-script.php`:
.. literalinclude:: ../examples/signon-script.php
:language: php
.. seealso::
:config:option:`$cfg['Servers'][$i]['auth_type']`,
:config:option:`$cfg['Servers'][$i]['SignonSession']`,
:config:option:`$cfg['Servers'][$i]['SignonScript']`,
:config:option:`$cfg['Servers'][$i]['SignonURL']`
.. index:: pair: Config; Authentication mode
Config authentication mode
--------------------------
* This mode is sometimes the less secure one because it requires you to fill the
:config:option:`$cfg['Servers'][$i]['user']` and
:config:option:`$cfg['Servers'][$i]['password']`
fields (and as a result, anyone who can read your :file:`config.inc.php`
can discover your username and password).
* In the :ref:`faqmultiuser` section, there is an entry explaining how
to protect your configuration file.
* For additional security in this mode, you may wish to consider the
Host authentication :config:option:`$cfg['Servers'][$i]['AllowDeny']['order']`
and :config:option:`$cfg['Servers'][$i]['AllowDeny']['rules']` configuration directives.
* Unlike cookie and http, does not require a user to log in when first
loading the phpMyAdmin site. This is by design but could allow any
user to access your installation. Use of some restriction method is
suggested, perhaps a :term:`.htaccess` file with the HTTP-AUTH directive or disallowing
incoming HTTP requests at one’s router or firewall will suffice (both
of which are beyond the scope of this manual but easily searchable
with Google).
.. index:: pair: Swekey; Authentication mode
.. _swekey:
Swekey authentication mode
--------------------------
The Swekey is a low cost authentication USB key that can be used in
web applications. When Swekey authentication is activated, phpMyAdmin
requires the users's Swekey to be plugged before entering the login
page (currently supported for cookie authentication mode only). Swekey
Authentication is disabled by default. To enable it, add the following
line to :file:`config.inc.php`:
.. code-block:: php
$cfg['Servers'][$i]['auth_swekey_config'] = '/etc/swekey.conf';
You then have to create the ``swekey.conf`` file that will associate
each user with their Swekey Id. It is important to place this file
outside of your web server's document root (in the example, it is
located in ``/etc``). Feel free to use it with your own users'
information. If you want to purchase a Swekey please visit
`http://phpmyadmin.net/auth\_key <http://phpmyadmin.net/auth_key>`_
since this link provides funding for phpMyAdmin.
A self documented sample file is provided in the
file :file:`examples/swekey.sample.conf`:
.. literalinclude:: ../examples/swekey.sample.conf
:language: sh
.. seealso:: :config:option:`$cfg['Servers'][$i]['auth_swekey_config']`
Securing your phpMyAdmin installation
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The phpMyAdmin team tries hard to make the application secure, however there
are always ways to make your installation more secure:
* remove ``setup`` directory from phpMyAdmin, you will probably not
use it after initial setup
* properly choose authentication method - :ref:`cookie`
is probably the best choice for shared hosting
* in case you don't want all MySQL users to be able to access
phpMyAdmin, you can use :config:option:`$cfg['Servers'][$i]['AllowDeny']['rules']` to limit them
* consider hiding phpMyAdmin behind authentication proxy, so that
MySQL credentials are not all users need to login
* if you are afraid of automated attacks, enabling Captcha by
:config:option:`$cfg['CaptchaLoginPublicKey']` and
:config:option:`$cfg['CaptchaLoginPrivateKey']` might be an option.