This might be a question for ServerFault, and f it wasn't for the Plesk aspect I would ask it there to start with, so if it's better suited for over there let me know and I'll move it.

I'm working on a dedicated server set up as a reseller account with Plesk to manage the domains and server configuration, and i need to add a directory to the local open_basedir configuration for a specific vhost. Given Plesk's normal methodology, I expected to be able to go to /var/www/vhost/{%DOMAINNAME%}/conf and modify vhost.conf and place a new value there, as I have successfully done with other configuration settings for this domain (turning safe_mode off, for instance). When I do so, however, the new setting doesn't take (per phpinfo();). If I edit httpd.conf (which the plesk configuration specifically says not to do in the notes at the top of httpd.conf) the setting takes.

Is there something specific about the open_basdir setting that makes it not configurable in vhost.conf? How much trouble am I letting myself in for by editing the vhost-specific httpd.conf (I imagine is someone makes changes in the plesk web interface it might be overwritten, but what other risk is there)?

Thanks!