exec() Problems

Dragoon_42

Here's what I'm trying to do:
When a user clicks on an image on my webpage, I want that image to open in Windows Image and Fax viewer. I know what command I have to execute via cmd.exe and I set security for IUSR_Server to be able to read, write, and execute cmd.exe. WHen I try to load the page now, it hangs and shows nothing. Can anyone toss me a bone?

justsomeone

You can't control that form the server side. Anyone who visits your site will have told their browser what to do with gif's, png's, jpg's, tiff's etc... it would not be appropriate for you to overwrite those preferences.

Nugen

if you can do it from the command line it is possible with exec. the only problem is exec generally waits on returned information, i believe if you use @ it will not wait, it's been a while since I've used it so you might need to find the proper syntax.

Dragoon_42

I'll give @ a try, but while I do, here's the command I'm trying to issue:
rundll32.exe C:\Windows\System32\shimgvw.dll,ImageView_Fullscreen http:1.2.3.4/Picture.jpg
That's the crazy command to view an image in Windows Image and Fax Viewer, which is embedded in shimgvw.dll. I'm really beginning to despise Windows, even though this is probably my inability.

Another question while I'm at it, is there any benefit to Apache over IIS?

justsomeone

The command above is a client-side command. Your PHP is running on the server. Try not to confuse the two or you'll only wreck your head.

I'll duck out of any religious debating on Apache Vs IIS, if you don't mind 🙂

Dragoon_42

So how do I get the client to run the command?

Jasp182

Dragoon_42 wrote:
So how do I get the client to run the command?

write a virus. lol. even if your intentions are 100% innocent, running a dos command client side is the biggest security breach imagineable.

For that type of functionality, your best bet would be to write a desktop application that pulls images (and/or data) from the web, but processes them on the client computer. Then you can launch executeables, temporarily change file type behaviors, etc.

justsomeone

Dragoon_42 wrote:
So how do I get the client to run the command?

You don't. You don't get to run any software on other people's computers.

Dragoon_42

I guess I'll have to figure out a different way to do this then, thanks everyone! I'm trying to write a page for my intranet.

justsomeone

Ahh... it's on an intranet.

That might give you an option. Can you get whoever maintains the PC's to set up a file association between the filetype used by these images and the software you want to display them?