Answers.Body: <p>I fixed this by adding the PDO extensions in to my php.ini which was overriding the server one.</p>
  
  <pre><code>extension = "pdo.so"
  extension = "pdo_sqlite.so"
  extension = "apc.so"
  extension = "intl.so"
  extension = "pdo_mysql.so"
  </code></pre>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-04-13T15:36:36.917Z
Answers.Text: Weird that it overrides... you'd think it's merge any parent values.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Brad Bell
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-04-13T15:35:53.100Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2016-04-13T15:35:53.100Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: David Teal
Body: <p>I'm trying to use php.ini to increase memory_limit etc on my site. An empty php.ini causes the front end to crash throwing a "Service Unavailable" error and the CP to throw the error "Craft requires the PDO extension to operate."</p>
  
  <p>The server allows for php.ini files to be used. There is no craft/storage/logs/phperrors.log file and the PHP and apache logs don't seem to show anything.</p>
  
  <p>Another user had the similar issue here but there doesn't seem to be a fix posted that works: <a href="https://craftcms.stackexchange.com/questions/11785/adding-php-ini-file-to-root-crashes-site">Adding php.ini file to root crashes site</a></p>
  
  <p>Thanks!</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2016-04-13T15:22:32.423Z
Comments.Text: Can't you simply edit the default php.ini instead?
Comments.UserDisplayName: jlcharette
Tags: <error>
Title: php.ini crashes CP with "Craft requires the PDO extension to operate."
ThreadText: # php.ini crashes CP with "Craft requires the PDO extension to operate."
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2016-04-13)
  
  I'm trying to use php.ini to increase memory\_limit etc on my site. An empty php.ini causes the front end to crash throwing a "Service Unavailable" error and the CP to throw the error "Craft requires the PDO extension to operate."
  
  The server allows for php.ini files to be used. There is no craft/storage/logs/phperrors.log file and the PHP and apache logs don't seem to show anything.
  
  Another user had the similar issue here but there doesn't seem to be a fix posted that works: [Adding php.ini file to root crashes site](https://craftcms.stackexchange.com/questions/11785/adding-php-ini-file-to-root-crashes-site)
  
  Thanks!
  
  **Tags:** error
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: Can't you simply edit the default php.ini instead?  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_0 on 2016-04-13. Score: 1
  
  I fixed this by adding the PDO extensions in to my php.ini which was overriding the server one.
  
  ```
  extension = "pdo.so"
  extension = "pdo_sqlite.so"
  extension = "apc.so"
  extension = "intl.so"
  extension = "pdo_mysql.so"
  
  ```
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_2**: Weird that it overrides... you'd think it's merge any parent values.  
  
  ---
  
  