The php session save path /var/cpanel/php/sessions/alt-phpXX is not writable

Issue

Sometimes you may face the following issue with your website:

The php session save path /var/cpanel/php/sessions/alt-phpXX is not writable

Environment

• CloudLinux 7/8
• cPanel

Solution

1. To solve the problem you need to do the following actions:

mkdir -p /home/username/whmcsdata/sessions
chmod 1750 /home/username/whmcsdata/sessions
chown username:username /home/username/whmcsdata/sessions

2. Change the session.save_path for the user in cPanel > PHP Selector > Options.

Please note: You need to change the "username" value to the name of your real user

3. Then please make sure that the following lines are present in the /etc/cagefs/cagefs.mp file:

@/var/cpanel/php/sessions/alt-php72,700
@/var/cpanel/php/sessions/alt-php73,700
@/var/cpanel/php/sessions/alt-php74,700
@/var/cpanel/php/sessions/alt-php80,700
@/var/cpanel/php/sessions/alt-php81,700

4. If they are absent, please add them to this file and run the following command to apply the changes:

cagefsctl --force-update
cagefsctl -M