exec()

[ElectricShaka]

I have a spare computer with xampplite installed. I'm using this computer as a server. I have a program installed on this server computer which I'm trying to run with the exec function in a php page. This is my first time using exec() so I'm sure I have something wrong with my code because the program does not run at all. If anyone could offer me some advice I'd greatly appreciate it.

 

exec(webshotcmd.exe /url "http://www.myurl.com/preview.php?prev=$title" /out "images/$name" /width "300" /height "240" /bwidth "768" /bheight "1024");

[Guest]

You need to put the command in quotations. The proper syntax is as follows:

 

exec  ( string $command  [, array &$output  [, int &$return_var  ]] )

(http://ca3.php.net/function.exec)

 

exec('webshotcmd.exe /url "http://www.myurl.com/preview.php?prev=$title" /out "images/$name" /width "300" /height "240" /bwidth "768" /bheight "1024"')

 

EDIT:

Sorry, i didn't see the variable inside (corrected):

 

exec('webshotcmd.exe /url "http://www.myurl.com/preview.php?prev='.$title.'" /out "images/$name" /width "300" /height "240" /bwidth "768" /bheight "1024"')

[ElectricShaka]

Thanks 8ball,

Now I'm getting

Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_VARIABLE in C:\xampplite\htdocs\takeScreen.php on line 7

 

Here is the top of my updated code:

<?php
$title = $_GET[title];
$title = str_replace(" ","%20",$title);
$name = $_GET[name];
exec('webshotcmd.exe /url "http://www.myurl.com/preview.php?prev='.$title.'" /out "images/$name" /width "300" /height "240" /bwidth "768" /bheight "1024"')

[Guest]

Two things:

 

a) I noticed there was no semicolon at the end of the exec() call, that may have been a copy/paste problem, but check it out.

b) Is the exec() call the 7th line of the program?

 

Another thing you could try: is placing the command into a separate variable. Some system functions don't like variable substitution (I think).

 

<?php
$title = $_GET[title];
$title = str_replace(" ","%20",$title);
$name = $_GET[name];
$command = 'webshotcmd.exe /url "http://www.myurl.com/preview.php?prev='.$title.'" /out "images/$name" /width "300" /height "240" /bwidth "768" /bheight "1024"';
exec($command);

[ElectricShaka]

Thanks again 8ball that fixed the Variable error but it's still not working. The code in the exec() is identical to code I would put in my command line on the windows computer to run that program and output the correct file but it doesn't do it 

 

I have the monitor up on the other computer and everything. I don't see the program even open up like it would if I manually put it in the command line.

[Guest]

oh, there's another variable in your command:

 

<?php
$title = $_GET[title];
$title = str_replace(" ","%20",$title);
$name = $_GET[name];
// fixed
$command = 'webshotcmd.exe /url "http://www.myurl.com/preview.php?prev='.$title.'" /out "images/'.$name.'" /width "300" /height "240" /bwidth "768" /bheight "1024"';
exec($command);

 

if that doesn't work, then I you might want to check your php.ini -- if safe_mode is on, exec won't work how you'd expect it to.

[ElectricShaka]

I fixed that other variable and checked that safe mode is not turned on. The program still doesn't run. I even tried adding the path of the .exe to the environment variable's Path. Still no luck.  ???

[Stooney]

Does the program you're running attempt to open a window?  I remember reading something about Apache not having permissions to run program that open windows or something of the such.

[ElectricShaka]

Yes I suppose it does. It opens a status window which stays open for the length of the execution...perhaps 5 seconds? Then it creates an image file.

[ElectricShaka]

Ok I've been reading any documentation I can find on this stuff. I'm now trying the following 2 things and neither are working.

 

<?php
$title = $_GET[title];
$title = str_replace(" ","%20",$title);
$name = $_GET[name];
$command = '/webshotcmd.exe /url "http://www.myurl.com/preview.php?prev='.$title.'" /out "images/'.$name.'" /width "300" /height "240" /bwidth "768" /bheight "1024"';
exec($command, $output, $return);
print_r($output);
print_r($return);

 

which give me this when I run the page:

Array ( ) 1

 

and then:

$path = "C:/xampplite/htdocs/WebShot/";
$exe = "webshotcmd.exe";
$args = '/url "http://www.myurl.com/preview.php?prev='.$title.'" /out "images/'.$name.'" /width "300" /height "240" /bwidth "768" /bheight "1024"';


function execInBackground($path, $exe, $args = "")
{
global $conf;

if (file_exists($path . $exe))
	{
	chdir($path);
	if (substr(php_uname(), 0, 7) == "Windows")
		{
		pclose(popen("start \"bla\" \"" . $exe . "\" " . escapeshellarg($args), "r"));
		}
	else
		{
		exec("./" . $exe . " " . escapeshellarg($args) . " > /dev/null &");
		}
	}
else
{
echo "File didn't exist";
}
}

execInBackground($path, $exe, $args);

 

I've tried modifying some permissions on my home server (running Xampplite) but I'm not sure if I did it correctly. The program still refuses to launch. Any help is greatly appreciated.