Increase PHP Memory Allowance Using ini_set()

On rare occasion, I need to up the memory allowed for PHP. Usually it's when I deal with large files and don't necessarily care about optimizing the file reading process but simply getting the file opened. There's an easy way to increase to amount of memory allowed to PHP right in your script:

ini_set('memory_limit','16M');

The above code will increase the maximum amount of memory available to PHP to 16 MB. Again, the setting is only adjusted for the running script.


Comments

  1. chuck

    I had to do this recently for a client who had joomla (yuck) installed. I just posted this in the top of their main index.php file so it was loaded on every page. It’s really good as a quickfix if you’re using something like Gallery or Joomla along with php-cgi, since php-cgi doesnt let you use htaccess.

  2. Michael

    Thank you o-b-wan, both for this post, and the kindly remonstration given on the other post that sent me here.

    :)

    Michael

  3. Michael

    This worked great David.

    I had to place it below some other “session_start();” code in the index2.php file of a troublesome joomla installation, but it worked just as you offered.

    memory_limit Local 16M; Master 8M

    Thanks again o-b-wan.

    Off to look for the next pebble…
    :)

    Michael

  4. Sam

    I have a problem with wordpress installing plugins where I get the error:

    Fatal error: Allowed memory size of 16777216 bytes exhausted (tried to allocate 122880 bytes) in /var/virtual/web/w1032/html/wp-content/plugins/wp-postratings/wp-postratings.php on line 872

    Which file should I place the code in? And I obviously need to increase it past 16MB so can I just put in:

    ini_set(‘memory_limit’,’32M’);

    maybe wp-config.php or the actual plugin? wp-postrating.php?

  5. Sam

    I cannot install plugins on wordpress due to a memory error.

    I can’t get to php.ini, which file do you know should I put

    ini_set(‘memory_limit’,’24M’)

    in?

    wp-config, the plugin script or all the wp php files?

    thanks!

  6. Akshay

    @Sam: You have to put

    ini_set(’memory_limit’,’24M’);

    this line of code in the file/page, which on calling gives the error.

  7. Tob-e

    I’ve got a strange behaviour on PHP 5.2.11.
    The php.ini set the memory_limit to 128MB. I can adjust the limit to 64M but never above the limit of 128M.

    Did someone noticed a similar problem?

  8. i4ever

    I tried to install wordpress 3.0.1 and i received this message : Fatal error: Allowed memory size of 33554432 bytes exhausted (tried to allocate 2966269 bytes) in /home/blidaru/public_html/wp-includes/http.php on line 1364

    What i have to do?

    • Rnel

      put this on top of your http.php file

      ini_set(‘memory_limit’,’32M’);

      if that didn’t worked out try increasing 32M until it works for you

  9. kishor

    ini_set(‘memory_limit’, ‘-1′);

    will be a neat solution as well. but I am still not sure of any side effects of this!

  10. MyShadowSelf

    Life saver, as always David.

    Host of my dedicated saw fit to lower all max memory across their entire network for “security reasons”. Screw em, Big Daddy Walsh has my answer!

  11. Dalinofx

    this is the best solution step by step
    http://core.trac.wordpress.org/attachment/ticket/13847/13847.patch

  12. Akram

    Thanks David but it didn’t work in my case – I think my host has put a limit on memory access – had an image resizing script with imagecreatetruecolor() – and script just would not go past it.


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