shell_exec hangs page...

[andrewdav]

Hello all,

 

I am using a shell_exec command like the one below:

 

$output = shell_exec('c:\powershell\powershell.exe get-service');
echo($output);

 

However, when launching the page, the browser will hang with the hour-glass. If i end the powershell.exe process on the web server via task manager, the browser then returns the expected output.

 

Any idea why this is? Other commands, like ipconfig return the correct output and the browser displays "Done" in the bottom left.

 

Any help appreciated.

 

Andrew

 

[premiso]

Have you tried running the command via the cmd.exe interface? Does it work properly there or does it hang as well?

 

Chances are it is expecting more input or "pause's" after it executes which is why it would hang.

[andrewdav]

it works from the command prompt and outputs as expected, so the command is correct.

[andrewdav]

the same thing happens with this command

 

$output = shell_exec("cmd");

 

i'd expect to see

 

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]

© Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

 

C:\>

 

return to $output - but this doesn't happen, just hangs the browser.

[premiso]

The reason it hangs is it is expecting input, without the exit command being issued the command prompt is just going to sit there waiting for input, as that is what it does.

 

So if you were able to pass "exit" to that command prompt, it would un-hang the browser as it would kill the cmd process. Does that make sense?

[slowfib]

I'm experiencing this same problem too, andrewdav, did you ever solve this?

 

My code:

$output = array();
exec("powershell get-service", $output);
exec("exit");
print_r($output);

 

 

My browser hangs until I goto Task Manager on the machine and kill Powershell.exe, then my results are returned.