crontab trouble

[Anon]

Hi,

I have run in to some trouble trying to execute a PHP script periodically using Linux crontab and am in desperate need of help.
I have used the following syntax:

• /usr/apache/htdocs/file.php

Crontab manages to run the script, but I get all kinds of errors.
Do I have to use a certain command in order for crontab to "understand" that this file is a PHP script or what could be wrong?

I am a total newbie to Linux and especially crontab, so I would appreciate all the help I can get!

// Beana

[[deleted]]

Indeed you should give a command that makes sense to un*x.

The smart way would be to create a CGI version of PHP (read the manual about that) and change your crontab entry to read

• /path/to/php /path/to/script.php

If the script is only run from the crontab, you can also
put this line at the top of your script to make the shell understand that it should use PHP:

#!/path/to/php

[Anon]

PHP scripts depend on browsers to be executed, unless you have CGI version of it.
So the simplest way is run the script via lynx like this;

• /usr/bin/lynx /yourscript.php

[Anon]

Thank you for you help!
I have now tried to enter the path to php in the .php file, but all that happens is that I get a new error message;
Permission denied for /usr/apache/htdocs/file.php

Any ideas why this is? I have used chmod 777 to set permissions for the file, so it should work, shouldn't it?

Perhaps there's another way to run this script (a POP3 mailscript) periodically?

[Anon]

Thanx for your help.

I have tried to use lynx to get the script working, but the following error occurs:

Your terminal lacks the ability to clear the screen or position the cursor.

Since I have no idea what I'm doing at this point, I though that perhaps you or someone else could help me to figure out what this means and if there's anything I can do about it.

Sorry to be so pushy, but I'm in a real hurry to get this working so I'm beginning to feel somewhat worried...

// beana

[jconner]

Masahiro,

I thought the same thing. However, usually in /usr/local/php there is a binary interpretter for php. Therefore:

If beana will add this line to his/her top of the script

#!/path/to/php

EXAMPLE: #!/usr/local/bin/php

Then leave the crontab alone, you will get the results you are looking for. If you want to suppress html output then use this:

#!/path/to/php -q

Remember, in yourscript.php place the above line at the very very top with no whitespace anywhere before it. Chmod 755 it (777 is dangerous). Let us know what happens.

[jconner]

See my prior post but to fix this screen terminal issue perform the following:

export TERM=vt100

That should work for ya

[[deleted]]

Note: the #!/path/to/php works fine for crontab entries,
but if the script you want to use is also used by your website, then the #!/path/to/php will show up on your pages(!)

[Anon]

I'm just writing to thank you all for your handy tips.

I ended up getting my sysadmin to rebuild php as a CGI and that worked perfectly, so I'm happy right now :-)

Thank's again!

// beana

PS. I am a girl :-)

[jconner]

EEK. Sorry Beana...you know how we guys are 🙂

[[deleted]]

Wow, that's the second girl in the forum.(that I know of anyway).. this is getting interesting... :-)