Force Apache to display PHP errors instead of 500

Question

I have a development server with Apache 2.2.8 /PHP 5.2.4 on Ubuntu Server 8.04. Sometimes my php code returns an Internal server 500 error instead of outputting the errors to the page.

The Apache error.log contains no entries regarding the 500 error and the access.log only contains the one line referencing that the 500 error occurred. In php.ini error_reporting = E_ALL and display_errors = On.

How do I get Apache or PHP to display the error on the page instead of a generic 500 error.

Solution 1

Your google-fu fails you, small grasshopper.

http://ca3.php.net/manual/en/errorfunc.configuration.php#ini.error-reporting

Solution 2

Found the issue. Developer was using someone else's library and failed to notice that the library had custom error handling code built in. Changed one line of code and all is well.

Comments

[blunders]

@Ernie: Who need Google, when I've got you. Thanks!

[Clayton Martin]

Note to anyone else new to php ini - error reporting must be enabled after the line engine = On, otherwise it will not work.