PHP Exec Function Doesn't work with cd Ubuntu Command

[unemployment]

Do you know why my exec() to change directory doesn't work when the script executes?

$test = exec('cd /var/www/mysite.com/mysite.com', $output);
echo $test;

$ls = exec('ls');
echo $ls;

[Christian F.]

Yes, "cd" does not change the working dir of PHP, but the "instance" of the shell that gets invoked using "exec". And each execution is a separate instance.

Also, any particular reason why you're trying to use shell commands instead of the built-in PHP commands like glob?

[jazzman1]

Try to run a shell_exec() php function instead of exec(), it should work. 

 

Exemple:

$test = shell_exec('cd /var/www/mysite.com/mysite.com', $output);
echo $test;

If you want to list another directories where apache does not have permissions:

//create a copy of catalogDB to attach
$cd  = shell_exec("chmod 755 /home/user/Downloads -R; cd /home/user/Downloads; ls -la .");

echo $cd; 

[trq]

See also chdir

[unemployment]

chdir works well. Thanks

[Sanjib Sinha]

In shared hosting, i always encounter lot of problems while tying to execute these directory functions. Probably there is permission issue.

[trq]

  On 4/12/2013 at 3:20 AM, Sanjib Sinha said:

In shared hosting, i always encounter lot of problems while tying to execute these directory functions. Probably there is permission issue.

Who the hell uses shared hosting these days?

[Sanjib Sinha]

getting dedicated server in India is extremely costly sir...

[Jessica]

Too bad this internets thing isn't global eh?

[jazzman1]

  On 4/12/2013 at 3:19 AM, unemployment said:

chdir works well. Thanks

 

A shell_exec() should be work too!

 

Try,

$test = shell_exec('cd /var/www/mysite.com/mysite.com;pwd');
echo $test;

[Sanjib Sinha]

its a locational challenge. hope one day internet things will be globally same for everyone...

[unemployment]

Hey guys... I change my script around and for some reason it doesn't seem to be working any more. Do you know why?
 

$this->log(getcwd());
          
//chdir('/mysite.com/mysite.com');
shell_exec('cd /var/www/mysite.com/mysite.com', $output);
         
$this->log(getcwd());

The out put for that is:

2013-04-12 12:21:57-04:00 --- INFO: /var/www/deploy
2013-04-12 12:21:57-04:00 --- INFO: /var/www/deploy

 

I don't receive an noticeable errors.  I also tried the chdir function but that kills my script and the second log won't occur.  Any ideas?

[jazzman1]

I think you do not understand very proper how those functions work.

[unemployment]

I'm writing an auto deploy script to automatically pull down my latest git deployment from bitbucket.  Ideally, using the shell_exec command should make the most sense since I want terminal to execute the command.

[jazzman1]

Yes, that's correct you can do this. 

 

Write a simple bash script which take exerything that you want to get and execute that script by shell_exec(). 

 

That's all.

[unemployment]

I've already done that using the below code, but it doesn't work:

 

$this->log('Enter Execute');
//$this->log($this->_directory);
// Make sure we're in the right directory

//chdir($this->_directory);
$this->log(getcwd());

//chdir('/mysite.com/mysite.com');
shell_exec('cd /var/www/mysite.com/mysite.com', $output);

$this->log(getcwd());

$this->log('Changing working directory... ');

// Update the local repository
exec('git pull '.$this->_remote.' '.$this->_branch, $output);
$this->log('Pulling in changes... '.implode(' ', $output));

// Secure the .git directory
exec('chmod -R og-rx .git');
$this->log('Securing .git directory... ');

$this->log('Deployment successful.');

[jazzman1]

Ok, step by step...... this is a not real directory - "/var/www/mysite.com/mysite.com"

 

What is the real one?

[unemployment]

This is my script with the real directory:

$this->log('Enter Execute');
//$this->log($this->_directory);
// Make sure we're in the right directory

//chdir($this->_directory);
$this->log(getcwd());

//chdir('/trekeffect.com/trekeffect.com');
shell_exec('cd /var/www/trekeffect.com/trekeffect.com', $output);

$this->log(getcwd());

$this->log('Changing working directory... ');

// Update the local repository
exec('git pull '.$this->_remote.' '.$this->_branch, $output);
$this->log('Pulling in changes... '.implode(' ', $output));

// Secure the .git directory
exec('chmod -R og-rx .git');
$this->log('Securing .git directory... ');

if (is_callable($this->post_deploy))
{
  call_user_func($this->post_deploy, $this->_data);
}

$this->log('Deployment successful.');

[jazzman1]

Give me the message back:

<?php

$dir = shell_exec('pwd');

echo $dir;

[unemployment]

The message back is

 /var/www/deploy

[jazzman1]

Sorry for delay but I'm working.

 

So, the "deploy" is your working directory on the server not "trekeffect.com"

[Christian F.]

  On 4/12/2013 at 2:29 AM, Christian F. said:

Yes, "cd" does not change the working dir of PHP, but the "instance" of the shell that gets invoked using "exec". And each execution is a separate instance.

Same goes for shell_exec, btw.

[unemployment]

deploy is the directory where my deploy script is located. 

Deploy script: /var/www/deploy/deploy.php

Trekeffect Main site: /var/www/trekeffect.com/trekeffect.com

The deploy script is supposed to change to that directory to run the git commands.

[jazzman1]

What will you get:

<?php

$dir = shell_exec('cd /var/www/trekeffect.com/trekeffect.com;pwd');

echo $dir; 

[unemployment]

That returned:

/var/www/trekeffect.com/trekeffect.com

Which seems correct, but for some reason my script still didn't take.