[SOLVED] system command

[AV1611]

I've seen this question before, but never gotten a good answer to it:

 

I want to start a problem on my linux box via my personal web site.  I know it's possible with PHP because I use webmin to start and stop programs all the time. 

 

I know it's more than a simple string, as I have to log to the local machine etc.

 

Can someone point me in the right direction or a howto or tutorial or something?

 

Thanks.

 

[revraz]

Like this?

 

http://us.php.net/function.exec

 

I assume you mean start a process and not a problem.

[AV1611]

No, that won't work.  If you do

 

exec('xterm');

 

it doesn't start an xterm on the server. (it doesn't show up in "top".)

 

The program I want to run is not xterm, but it will do for this discussion.

 

I think apache user is not allow to start local processes, so there's a mod that webmin uses or something.

 

If I do

$e=exec('ls');

echo $e

 

it works.

[trq]

The reason xterm will fail is because it will fail to find a display (a window). Its not called xterm for nothing, and needs to be called from within an x windows system.

 

Exec will give you direct access to the shell however and can easily execute programs which have a command line interface. What program do you wish to run exactly?

[AV1611]

Ah, that makes sense about no x handle

 

I run an america's army server, for example.  It's not up all the time.  I want to create a way to start it up via a web page. (I can do it via ssh, but don't like giving ssh out to people...)

 

The command is "/path/to/file/server-bin -some -switches"

 

via ssh I use "&" so I can close the session and leave the server running.  I don't need to be able to kill the server, but may change my mind on that...

 

 

[revraz]

My clanmate wrote some cpanels for various games, I'll see if he has one for AA.

[trq]

I see no reason why exec wont work.

[AV1611]

<?php

exec('/path/to/file/server-bin -switches mapname.aao');

?>

 

that doesn't do anything. 

[trq]

So, thats your actual code then?

[AV1611]

<?php

exec('/home/username/apps-lnxded-2.8.1/server-bin GLOBAL map_name.aao -nohomedir ini=server.ini &'');

?>

 

That's the exact script except the user name

[trq]

What is the permissions on /home/username/apps-lnxded-2.8.1/server-bin

[AV1611]

-rwxrwxrwx

[AV1611]

sorry about the double post...

 

Maybe the whole folder needs to be -rwxrwxrwx ?

 

[trq]

I see no reason why it wont execute then. PHP isn't running in safe mode is it?

[AV1611]

as far as I know it's not, but can you tell me how to verify that?

[AV1611]

The server runs in a chrooted jail.  I run ISPConfig on Linux.  Could that be part of it?  Is exec() limited by that?  Just a thought

[trq]

Shouldn't effect it.

[trq]

Sorry, you'll need to check a phpinfo() page to see whats enabled / disabled. Either that or take a look at your php.ini

[AV1611]

looks off to me but here:

http://truthsoldiers.com/server2.php

[trq]

Actually, thinking about the jail. Unless the program your trying to execute is within the same filesystem (which it does not look like) then you won't be able to execute it.

 

The entire /home directory will not exist within the chroot environment. Sorry I didn't click to it earlier but I should imagine that is your problem. the only work around I can see would be to install the application within the same chroot.

[AV1611]

Let's review:

 

Because the virtual domain is chrooted to /var/www/virtualname/ then /home doesn't exist.  "/" is actually "/var/www/virtualname/" 

 

If I

mkdir /var/www/virtualname/home

 

then  copy

/home/username/foldername

to

/var/www/virtualname/home/foldername

 

all is well.

 

Is my understanding of how the chrooted jail work correct?

 

 

[trq]

Is my understanding of how the chrooted jail work correct?

 

Your understanding of a chroot seeams sound.

 

I suppose it depends on what exactly this server-bin file is. Is it the complete executable for this server? How in fact did you install this server application? Is it linked to the actual system in any way?

 

 

[AV1611]

I untared and mod'ed the ini's.  no install, no compiling. 

 

I did notice that when I try to execute it with ssh it gives me an error if I don't do it from the

/home/username/aops-lnxded-2.8.1/System folder.

 

It complains about not finding ../System/somefile

 

I make a shell script that does

cd /path/to/System

/path/to/server-bin

then did

exec('sh /path/to/file.sh');

but it still doesn't work,

but the sh works in ssh from anywhere.

 

 

[trq]

You could try using chdir prior to calling exec.

[AV1611]

That did it.

 

Now I need to figure out how to kill the process.

 

I figured out how to get the PID, but I guess I need to kill it as root... any clue how to do that with exec?