Thread: CGI Script Acting Up

I have a CGI script. It runs fine when I point to it in a browser.
However, when I use Cron to schedule it, I keep getting this sent to my e-mail...

Can't locate mvars.cgi in @INC (@INC contains: /usr/lib/perl5/5.8.8/i686-linux /usr/lib/perl5/5.8.8 /usr/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.8.8/i686-linux /usr/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.8.8 /usr/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.8.5 /usr/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.8.4 /usr/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.8.3 /usr/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.8.2 /usr/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.8.1 /usr/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.8.0 /usr/lib/perl5/site_perl .) at /home/account/public_html/subdir/vars.cgi line 14.
Compilation failed in require at /home/account/public_html/subdir/cron_freeze.cgi line 7.

Would someone know how to remedy this? It runs fine in the browser, but Cron is a no-go.
Any help would be appreciated.

I have a script that also returns a chron error.
Just says error, can not run.

Weird, I think it is the hosting?

Anyways, to bypass the fact that my cron jobs refuse to run automatically, I use this in the browser:
http://www.mydowmain.com/cron.php

Check your script and see if you can do the same.

Cron does not load .profile so all your paths have to be hardcoded.

Do you have access to the shell? You could try running

Code:

perl -w script.cgi

Either hard code full paths or call the code from a shell script which changes to the local directory of the code before calling the cron script.

I have a VPS with WHM but I'm no coder.
Could someone please detail what is needed? :P

Is the file which is called by the cron, chmod correctly?

Originally Posted by Kalina

Is the file which is called by the cron, chmod correctly?

Yeah. It works fine if I open it manually in a browser.
I have a feeling it might be a problem with my syntax in cPanel in Cron.

Show us the instructions to put the cron job in the cron system. Or is this cron job called by a php script on a schedule?

Maybe from there we can get a better idea of what suits your needs. I know what has to be done, just not exactly how to do it for your app and in your environment.

Thanks Noppid!

The command I have entered into cron in cPanel is

Code:

/home/username/public_html/subdir/cron_freeze.cgi

Within cron_freeze.cgi, there is a reference to mvars.cgi (noted in error above) but it works fine in a browser.


Any help would be appreciated and thanks for the help so far.

It works in a browser because you are running it from the folder it lives in that way.

Cron runs in the home folder of whatever user cron runs under and calls the script via the fully qualified path /home/username/public_html/subdir/cron_freeze.cgi. So, when the include('./something.php') or include('something.php') is encountered, which says, find a file named something.php in the folder we are running in, it is looking in cron's home folder, not the script folder.

Ok, so, I would say the easiest fix is to put this before the include() in cron_freeze.cgi.

Code:

chdir '/home/username/public_html/subdir';

Now when cron calls the script, the script will move from the cron home folder to where the application files are so includes without full paths work.

You can get fancy and make another php file to do this and then call this one. Or you could make a shell script to call and do the chrid and then call this php file. There's more then one way to skin a cat.

So, good luck.

BIG EDIT: I was thinking in PHP, not perl. That CHDIR() call is likely wrong. BRB
EDIT 2: The function is the same, the syntax however seems to be different in that there are no parentheses used as in php. I've edited the code above.

Thanks Noppid!

I inserted the code and it worked like a charm. Now I can sleep at night.
Thanks a ton!



Thanks to you too, Cyberbite for offering your help!

You're welcome. I'm glad it worked out.