Issues with Cron Job - osTicket Forum

Issues with Cron Job

jonathanlong

Today, I finally got access to my production server that the IT department set up on our VM box in KY.

I'm in California, which is where my ad-hoc production server has been residing while we try osTicket out.

To migrate the server:

- I did a mysql dump of the osTicket database using Navicat

- Installed osTicket on the new server

- Imported the osTicket Data

- Re-Edited email passwords

I also setup the cron job, and waited for my test messages to get processed.

They didn't.

After spending a better part of my day trying to figure out why it wasn't working, I decided to enable to Auto-Cron, which worked exactly like it was supposed to.

I also copied the files from the ad-hoc development server to the production server, and the cron job still wasn't working.

I enabled Debugging for the Event Log, and my findings were rather odd.

When the Auto-Cron is enabled, both the Auto Cron & Cron job will run, but, that is the only time the Cron will actually run. (See below Quote)

I have updated the time zone on osTicket so that it matches the server time.

I am thinking that this is related some how to the timezones and time differences between the two servers; the cron script doesn't seem to bomb out at all.

Suggestions?

Thanks

Tue, Sep 1 2009 2 Autocron

cron job executed 172.16.81.125

Tue, Sep 1 2009 1 Cron Job

External cron job executed

Tue, Sep 1 2009 1 Autocron

cron job executed 172.16.81.125

Tue, Sep 1 2009 1 Autocron

cron job executed 172.16.81.125

Tue, Sep 1 2009 1 Cron Job

External cron job executed

Tue, Sep 1 2009 1 Autocron

cron job executed 172.16.81.125

Tue, Sep 1 2009 1 Autocron

cron job executed 172.16.81.125

Tue, Sep 1 2009 1 Cron Job

External cron job executed

Tue, Sep 1 2009 1 Autocron

cron job executed 172.16.81.125

Tue, Sep 1 2009 1 Cron Job

External cron job executed

Tue, Sep 1 2009 1 Autocron

cron job executed 172.16.81.125

scottro

Can you copy/paste your cron entry?

jonathanlong

cron entry

From /etc/crontab

*/2 * * * * nobody /usr/bin/php /var/www/api/cron.php

For the records (Real production server):

PHP 5.2.4-2ubuntu5.7 with Suhosin-Patch 0.9.6.2 (cli) (built: Aug 21 2009 19)

Server version: Apache/2.2.8 (Ubuntu)

Server built: Aug 18 2009 14

Linux cmsupport 2.6.24-24-server #1 SMP Tue Aug 18 17 UTC 2009 i686 GNU/Linux

scottro

Take out "nobody" and let it run. Should work then.

jonathanlong

Done

I tried that - still no success.

I copied the line from what Cron setup directions say (http://osticket.com/wiki/POP3/IMAP_Settings(http://osticket.com/wiki/POP3/IMAP_Settings)), and I copied the line word for word from the ad-hoc server, which worked without a flaw.

On the ad-hoc machine, everytime I run the cron via the shell manually, it leaves a debug entry in the System Log.

On the production machine, no such entry.

I am going to start off with a clean install, not import any data or copy any files and try to narrow down the possibilities.

Will report back shortly.

jonathanlong

success

Ok

Fresh install. no imported data. it works.

The line nobody needs to be in crontab file (I just added it, and its running without a problem now).

So, now on to figuring out what the cause behind the issue is.

I guess I'll try re-importing the data; maybe something got corrupted when I tried to copy it over.

jonathanlong

something database driven

Okay -

so my thoughts are that it isn't related to time zone, but a problem with database connectivity.

It isn't posting any errors in the osTicket system log, which indicates that when I upload the SQL dump, it breaks something.

(verbose troubleshooting log)

I've dropped the ost_ticket tables (ost_ticket, attachment, lock, message, note, priority, and response) from the new database, and put the existing tickets in there.

Cron job still runs.

i also copied the staff, departments, and templates tables.

Cron job still runs.

I copied email, email templates, and banlist

Cron job still runs.

I imported config table - thats when the cron stops running.

Here is data from ost_config.

id 1

isonline 1

timezone_offset -8

enable_daylight_saving 1

staff_max_logins 4

staff_login_timeout 2

staff_session_timeout 0

client_max_logins 4

client_login_timeout 2

client_session_timeout 90

max_page_size 50

max_open_tickets 0

max_file_size 1048576

autolock_minutes 0

overdue_grace_period 8

alert_email_id 0

default_email_id 3

default_dept_id 5

default_priority_id 2

default_template_id 1

default_smtp_id 0

spoof_default_smtp 0

clickable_urls 1

allow_priority_change 0

use_email_priority 1

enable_auto_cron 0

enable_mail_fetch 1

enable_email_piping 0

send_sql_errors 1

send_mailparse_errors 1

send_login_errors 1

save_email_headers 0

strip_quoted_reply 1

ticket_autoresponder 1

message_autoresponder 1

ticket_alert_active 1

ticket_alert_admin 0

ticket_alert_dept_manager 1

ticket_alert_dept_members 0

message_alert_active 1

message_alert_laststaff 1

message_alert_assigned 1

message_alert_dept_manager 0

note_alert_active 1

note_alert_laststaff 1

note_alert_assigned 1

note_alert_dept_manager 1

overdue_alert_active 1

overdue_alert_assigned 1

overdue_alert_dept_manager 1

overdue_alert_dept_members 0

auto_assign_reopened_tickets 1

show_assigned_tickets 0

show_answered_tickets 0

hide_staff_name 0

overlimit_notice_active 0

email_attachments 0

allow_attachments 1

allow_email_attachments 1

allow_online_attachments 1

allow_online_attachments_onlogin 1

random_ticket_ids 1

log_level 3

log_graceperiod 1

upload_dir /var/osticket_attachments

allowed_filetypes .doc, .pdf, .jpg, .gif, .jpeg, .zip

time_format h A

date_format m/d/Y

datetime_format m/d/Y g a

daydatetime_format D, M j Y g

reply_separator -- Do not edit below this line --

admin_email (my admin email)

helpdesk_title (Helpdesk Title)

helpdesk_url (Server Name)

api_passphrase

ostversion 1.6 RC5

updated 7/14/2009 15

scottro

Johnathan,

Is that path correct? /var/www/api/cron.php?

It certainly could be but most people have it in a subfolder of www. For instance my ostickets is installed at

/var/www/tickets/api/cron.php

jonathanlong

I found the culprit

It seems that when the " Enable POP/IMAP email fetch (Global setting which can be disabled at email level)" is checked, the Cron Job won't run.

I've unchecked it, and it seems to run now.

jonathanlong

whoops

Okay, so I think I jumped the gun just a bit.

When the check box is not checked, it leaves the log entry in the ost system log, but it doesn't really check the mail.

I am going to copy the installation I have on my ad-hoc machine again, and see if its a code issue or a system issue.

jonathanlong

server issue

so, it is a missing package somewhere. not a code issue.

any suggestions?

jonathanlong

auto cron works

auto cron does work, and does retrieve the messages.

jonathanlong

i am such a retard

http://osticket.com/forums/showthread.php?t=416&highlight=cron.php(http://osticket.com/forums/showthread.php?t=416&highlight=cron.php)

I did exactly what the guy in the last post did, and voila - it works.

FFS!!!!

SpikeBoy

Same Problem

Had this same problem. In my situation I had to do four things since I don't have root access to my file server. I just thought I would share.

1. Add "extension=imap.so" to php.ini http://osticket.com/forums/showthread.php?t=416&highlight=extension=imap.so(http://osticket.com/forums/showthread.php?t=416&highlight=extension=imap.so)

2. Replace cron.php with the file submitted by peter http://osticket.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2685&highlight=cron.php.zip(http://osticket.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2685&highlight=cron.php.zip)

3. Add "@chdir(realpath(dirname(__FILE__)).'/'); //Change dir." just below the comment block in the new cron.php that you got in step 2.

4. Replace crontab entry like this: "* * * * * /usr/local/bin/php5 -c ~ /path/to/osticket/api/cron.php" because php.ini is in my home directory and when I run php manually it doesn't seem to load unless I specify "-c ~".

This seems to be a common problem. Hopefully this post helps some people out.

-Jon