editing .htaccess file with php values

Hi all,
am using PHP5 version and have a unix based shared hosting. I want to edit the php.ini file but I dont have access to it. So someone guided me to edit in .htaccess file. So I added the below lines in .htaccess file

<Directory />
AllowOverride All
</Directory>
php_flag sockets.use_system_read On

but its displaying the msg as Internal server error.

Where did I go wrong?
can anyone help me!

Thanks in advance

You can't do the following in a .htaccess file:

<Directory />
AllowOverride All
</Directory>

Try just the last line..though I'm not familiar with that option and can't find it in the list of ini settings...

First you can't set AllowOverride within an .htaccess. But that would not give an Internal server error.
Next remove the Directory block (<Directory> thru </Directory>).
Lastly, if you still get the error (you most probably will), then you need to get in touch with your hosting provider's support since it is you setting the php sockets option use_system_read that is causing the error.

Finally, why are you setting the php sockets option? Your hosting provider should have that set globally to what is best on their system.