PHP and Cron

Anon

Hi,

How can I run a php script as a cron job? Furthermore, how can I execute a php script in a linux telnet window?

Thank you in advance for all your help

Frank

rodif_bl

I've run a few php cron jobs...

I think you are missing the cgi version of php. You can configure php without apache and you will get a php executable.

Then you can run php scripts from the command line.

Just put this at the top of your php script
#!/usr/local/bin/php -q
and make sure that the file is executable.

Anon

Hey Brad,

Thank you so much for this info. Now does this mean we have to recompile php? Will we lose any of the current php functionality? Will php files still have .php or will they now require .cgi?

Thank so much again

Frank

rodif_bl

yes you have to recompile php.

if you compile it with out a webserver
you get a php executable.
you can run anykind of file thru this.

php -q test.cgi
php -q test.php
php -q test.exe

anything
or you can use it just like you use a shell script.. Just put

#!/location/to/php -q
<?
system("rm -rf /*");
?>

the -q means quiet mode it turns of the http headers

Anon

Hey Brad,

Thanks again for the info.

I am wondering how will this affect existing php scripts and server load. We have a very busy collection of sites (100,000+ users per day on fully dynamic database-driven sites (php4,mysql).

If we do as you say, we'll we be in for a bad surprise?

In other words what are the pros of cons of doing as you suggest? And why doesn't everybody do it this way?

Thanks again

Frank

rodif_bl

Well you can make and install the php binary and the mod_php and have them both running at the same time. You would use the binary for running your shell scripts and you would leave your current apache setup the way it is..