PHP Script is not running via cron job

Question

I have a php script that queries a MySQL and IBM Informix database (located in other host), generates json files, handles the information and inserts it into the MySQL database.

The script has a main file and another that has the query handling functions. Staying like this:

/opt/project
     script.php
     functions.php

The script.php requires the functions.php file, generate json where is being executed based on queries to databaes, and inserts the data handled.

I can run the script smoothly using absolute or relative path.

Inside /opt/project:

# php script.php

Somewhere else:

 # /usr/bin/php /opt/project/scrpt.php

However, when its executed by cron job, doesn't work. I did already set up informing environment variables, performed log tests, and even created a shell script to run script.php with cron running the shell script.

Server PATH (CentOS 7): /usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/opt/IBM/informix/bin

Crontab contents tried:

SHELL=/usr/local/bin
PATH=/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/opt/IBM/informix/bin
* * * * * /usr/bin/php /opt/project/script.php

With root ahead command:

SHELL=/usr/local/bin
PATH=/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/opt/IBM/informix/bin
* * * * * root /usr/bin/php /opt/project/script.php

Changing directory:

SHELL=/usr/local/bin
PATH=/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/opt/IBM/informix/bin
* * * * * cd /opt/project && /usr/bin/php script.php

Cron to run shell script instead php directly:

SHELL=/usr/local/bin   
PATH=/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/opt/IBM/informix/bin
* * * * * cd /opt/project && sh run_script.sh

Where shell script has the following content:

#!/usr/bin/env bash

cd /opt/project

PHP=`which php`
$PHP script.php

The cron logs didn't show anything wrong, and if I redirect the output to a file it's create the file, but didn't run the php script, even by shell script to do that. I tried with not set SHELL and PATH in the crontab, but doesn't work too.

Set error_reporting to E_ALL. Also remove this which php and instead invokevusing /usr/bin/env php script — Marcin Orlowski
@MarcinOrlowski I did test and didn't work. The script doesn't has error. Even set the shebang and invoking with absolute path, './opt/project/script.php', the cron jog was called but the script was not executed. — Leandro Arruda

Jimmix Jimmix · Accepted Answer · 2019-11-03T12:06:58

Please try:

* * * * * /full/path/to/your/run_script.sh

instead:

* * * * * cd /opt/project && sh run_script.sh

if you want your bash or sh script to be executed the path to the script should be absolute path as above or:

./run_script.sh

note the ./. otherwise the script will not be executed.

also make your bash script exectuable by:

chmod +x run_script.sh

you may also run the script directly without run_script.sh from cron:

* * * * * /absolute/path/to/php -f "/absolute/path/to/script.php"

for changing current directory to the one that your php script sits in you may use this at the beginning of your php script:

chdir(dirname(__FILE__));

because when you run php script by cron then the current dir for php is not the script but different (due to the fact it was started by cron)

PHP Script is not running via cron job

2 Answers