Problems with running PHP script via cron

[N-IGMA]

Hi All,

Here is a very strange problem that I have been fighting with for weeks and am clueless to what is happening.

I have a php script that writes a file with username:passwd on each line. Once this file is created I can run another PHP script that loops through the file, does useradd on each username then calls the following function:

cat /path/to/file | chpasswd

So now I have new users and passwords assigned. This all works fine as long as I run the script to create users and set passwords as root. As this is not possible in production state for security reasons I setup a cronjob to run every 5 mins. The problem is when run as a cronjob (as root) the user is created but the password is not and the account is locked!

I have tested and tested, if I use the command in the crontab from the command line manually it works but as a cronjob it fails!!

Please help me as I am about to lose the plot!!

TIA

Phil.

[joe2]

Probably, path in the cronjob is not correct.

[N-IGMA]

Thanks for your reply.

I am using the line from the crontab on the command line and it works. I am using the full path to php command and full path to file to process. The point is that the script runs as the users are created but the passwords are not set.

• Phil.

[joe2]

The problem is when run as a cronjob (as root) the user is created but the password is not and the account is locked!

Do you have permissions to run the file without root user ?

[N-IGMA]

The quoted line states run as root. If there were no permissions useradd would fail too.

• Phil