Very large uploads with PHP

upload_max_filesize can be set on a per-directory basis; the same goes for post_max_size

e.g.:

<Directory /uploadpath/>
  php_value upload_max_filesize 10G
  php_value post_max_size 10G
</IfModule>

Python Handler?

Using a Python POST handler instead of PHP. Generate a unique identifier from your PHP app that the client can put in the HTTP headers. With mod_python to reject or accept the large upload before the entire POST body is transmitted.

I think http://www.modpython.org/live/current/doc-html/dir-handlers-hph.html

Allows you to check headers and decline the rest of the POST input. I haven't tried it but might be the right path?

Looking at the source of mod_python, the buffering of the input via read() seems to allow bit-at-a-time evaluation of the HTTP input. Headers are first.

https://svn.apache.org/repos/asf/quetzalcoatl/mod_python/trunk/src/filterobject.c

It's old I know, but maybe someone have this problem nowdays ,too. Now you can do this with only Javascript and, say, PHP. No Flash or Java required on client side.

demo: http://dnduploader.filkor.org/

The idea is to slice the files with Javascript's Blob slice() method...

How about a Java applet? That's how we had to do it at a company I previously worked for. I know applets suck, especially in this day and age with all our options available, but they really are the most versatile solution to desktop-like problems encountered in web development. Just something to consider.

You can set the post_max_size for just scripts in 1 directory. Place your upload script there, and allow only that script to handle large sizes. It's still possible for that script to be attacked with large/useless files, but it avoids setting it globally.

Use that with APC and you might be able to work out something good: IBM Developer works article on APC