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Hi I'm trying executing a bash script through PHP, when the script runs the shell interface appears for a few seconds and then disappears.

However what I need is a way to run the bash script without the shell appearing at all. Found the execInBackground function on the php website shown below but it isn't working for me. What would be the best way to do this?

function convert($tmpName, $fileName, $fileSize, $fileType){
    $old_path = getcwd();
    chdir('C:\xampp\htdocs\p-master\tools');
    execInBackground("test.sh");
    chdir($old_path);
}

function execInBackground($cmd) { 
    if (substr(php_uname(), 0, 7) == "Windows"){ 
        pclose(popen("start /B ". $cmd, "r"));  
    } 
    else { 
        exec($cmd . " > /dev/null &");   
    } 
}

Edit: The shell window that appears is Git Bash

Edit 2: Still having this problem, tried all the suggested solutions and tried different ones from around the web but no luck, can anyone help with this?

olliejjc16
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  • I'm guessing it's a Cygwin window that's appearing. Windows wouldn't natively have the faintest idea what to do with a shell script... would it? (based on `chdir('C:\xampp\htdocs\p-master\tools');` I'm assuming you're running Windows) You're telling cmd to `start \B test.sh` – CD001 Feb 04 '16 at 14:20
  • The window is Git Bash and yep I am running Windows. – olliejjc16 Feb 04 '16 at 14:27
  • I'm not 100% on this but I'm not sure the *background* flag (`/b`) will actually work here - that will ensure the `cmd` prompt window doesn't appear not necessarily the following Bash window. You could try replacing `start` with the path to `sh.exe` and using the `&` flag as you'd do with *nix ... maybe. – CD001 Feb 04 '16 at 14:34
  • hi thanks for that tried it but no luck I'm afraid! – olliejjc16 Feb 04 '16 at 14:43
  • This refers to Cygwin ... but it might offer some help; I'm a little out of my depth with Bash on Windows I'm afraid ;) http://stackoverflow.com/questions/673278/cygwin-run-script-silenty-from-run-command – CD001 Feb 04 '16 at 14:51

1 Answers1

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You can use the shell_exec function which is built into PHP. It will execute a command via the shell and return the complete output as a string or a null value if an error occurred.

You also need to take the script you are executing out of the test.sh file and put it into the PHP function passing it to the shell_exec function as the parameter. The reason why the window keeps opening is that what you are doing here is effectively the same as double clicking on a file on the computer to open it, you are effectively telling the command line to open this file in a command line window and then run the script which is in it.

Syntax

string shell_exec(string $cmd);

Sources

http://php.net/manual/en/function.shell-exec.php

Chris Rutherfurd
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  • Hi tried that initially but the window still appears, the script does work but I need it to work without the shell window appearing! – olliejjc16 Feb 04 '16 at 14:44
  • Please see the edit I have made to the answer regarding shifting the code out of the test.sh file and placing it into the PHP file, passing it as a parameter to the shell_exec function. I have tested this on my machine and it worked fine. – Chris Rutherfurd Feb 04 '16 at 14:53
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    *you are effectively telling the command line to open this file in a command line window and then run the script which is in it* ... except he's using the `/b` flag which should tell cmd **not** to open a window - it's the Git Bash window that's appearing... but yeah, moving the shell code into the PHP and using `shell_exec()` should neatly sidestep that issue. – CD001 Feb 04 '16 at 14:53
  • Hi how do you write the command in directly? I have it like this but it's not working shell_exec("pyang -f yin -o H:\\YangModels\\yin\\types-ipos.yin types-ipos.yang"); – olliejjc16 Feb 04 '16 at 15:41