phpMyAdmin “Cannot start session without errors”

Sometimes phpMyAdmin is not accessible and gives the error message “Can’t start session without error”. This can be because of either a client sided issue, or a server-sided issue. From client side issue with cookies and from server side issue related with permissions to the temporary directory.

Client sided solution to Resolve phpMyAdmin Session

This error can basically be an issue with cookies in your web browser, so either delete every single stored cookies or specifically delete them for simply the domain/directory where phpMyAdmin is if your browser permits this.

Server sided solution

If the above didn’t work then it may be an issue with directory permissions or directory ownership of the directory where PHP keeps its session files.
First locate “session.save_path” in php.ini file.

# vim /etc/php.ini

Its look something like this:

session.save_path = "/var/lib/php/session"

Now you need to check the ownership of directory and make sure web server has permission to access it.

# ls -ld /var/lib/php/session

In last, just change the permission of the directory and give full rights to the session directory:

# chmod 0777 /var/lib/php/session