[resolved] Problems when running api/cron.php in Ubuntu16.04 - OsTicket1.14.2

geoffken

Hi there, we are unable to run "api/cron.php" as a cronjob, emails are not being fetched. Hopefully you guys can help us out?

First I want to be clear, fetching emails worked fine with "auto-cron" enabled, so email setup in OsTicket is fine. But I'm unable to run the cronjob in Ubuntu 16.04 from the command line to fetch emails as a ticket with api/cron.php.

Only thing that seemed to solve it was commenting out the line in "/var/www/html/support/api/cron.php" (which is not the proper solution):
//if (!osTicket::is_cli()) die(__('cron.php only supports local cron calls - use http -> api/tasks/cron'));

Our cronjob:
*/1 * * * * www-data /usr/bin/php /var/www/html/support/api/cron.php

According to Ubuntu forums "/usr/bin/php" should run the script as "php-cli" and not "php-cgi"... so that should be correct for the check line i've now commented out. Testing other scripts works fine running it with "/usr/bin/php".
Removing the "www-data" user from the cronjob to run it as root instead didn't help. Also in the OsTicket settings I've switched off "fetch with autocron" as suggested by the docs at https://docs.osticket.com/en/latest/Getting%20Started/POP3-IMAP%20Settings.html

Then tried to run it manually as root and www-data to maybe get some feedback, but nothing happens:

run as root: sudo /usr/bin/php -f /var/www/html/support/api/cron.php
run as www-data: sudo -u www-data /usr/bin/php -f /var/www/html/support/api/cron.php

Also enabled debug logs in OsTicket to see if something comes up, but the log remains empty. Also tried to view the apache error log in order to see something, but it doesn't provide any possible error. In the "/var/log/syslog" I can see that the CRON runs fine... So it must have something to do with maybe the PHP version (installed from Ondrei's repo) or the combination with Ubuntu 16.04 or maybe the OsTicket version?

Our details;

osTicket 1.14.2
PHP 7.2.31-1+ubuntu16.04.1+deb.sury.org+1 (cli)
Ubuntu 16.04 LTS
Apache/2.4.18 (Ubuntu)
OsTicket web location: /var/www/html/support/
php7.2-imap installed

Some commands 've used to find the PHP version and path:

:~$ php -v
PHP 7.2.31-1+ubuntu16.04.1+deb.sury.org+1 (cli) (built: May 14 2020 08:27:14) ( NTS )
Copyright (c) 1997-2018 The PHP Group
Zend Engine v3.2.0, Copyright (c) 1998-2018 Zend Technologies

:~$ which php
/usr/bin/php

:~$ ls -l $(which php)
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 21 jun 21  2016 /usr/bin/php -> /etc/alternatives/php

Our problem looks similar to https://forum.osticket.com/d/94293-resolved-please-help-creating-cron-job
Could someone point me in the right direction here please?

jeroenvdk

Somebody with the same issue?

ntozier

There should be no output from running cron.php to the screen (or terminal).

If there is an error it should appear in the PHP error logs or in the osTicket error logs.

cron.php should be run as the user that the the webserver runs as.

geoffken

ntozier Thanks for your answer! I’m aware that the cronjob shouldn’t return output in the console, but was expecting error feedback in the logs at least. No entries are found in the osTicket or Apache error log about the cronjob. Only thing I could see is the job running fine in the syslog, but no emails were moved from the inbox. It only works when I comment out the line as explained in my post. The cron Is run as the Apache user (www-data in Ubuntu), but during tests I also tried to run it as root. It seems more like a bug to me, but due to the lack of log entries it is hard to determine and solve this.

ramrajone

geoffken
I have used the same version osTicket and Ubuntu in past, without any issues
If it was working and stop working, something has changed in your server-side
If nothing change, I would try re-downloading osTicket and replace it, in case some file got corrupted, make sure to backup files and database, in case something goes wrong

jeroenvdk

I did upgrade to latest stable version v1.14.3 (f4f5bc6) but still can't use the cron task.
Even worse, no mail fetch happens anymore,

mail settings are correct because http cron when logged in works --> i disabled for now to test CRON. (both options can't work together)
cron is working, i checked the logs /var/log/syslog
tested manual CLI to fire the PHP page, but doesn't work also

Web Server Software Apache
MySQLversie 5.7.31
PHPversie 7.3.21-1+ubuntu16.04.1+deb.sury.org+1

tested with:
sudo -u www-data /usr/bin/php /var/www/html/support/api/cron.php
or
/usr/bin/php /var/www/html/support/api/cron.php

or
sudo -u www-data /usr/bin/php -f /var/www/html/support/api/cron.php

nano /var/log/syslog shows that cronjobs runs:
Sep 11 18:22:01 CRON[19861]: (root) CMD (/usr/bin/php /var/www/html/support/api/cron.php)
Sep 11 18:23:01 CRON[19883]: (root) CMD (/usr/bin/php /var/www/html/support/api/cron.php)
Sep 11 18:24:01 CRON[19912]: (root) CMD (/usr/bin/php /var/www/html/support/api/cron.php)

in the log from osticket, (debug enabled) where you normally see all cron running, nothing shows up now.

i guess (not sure) that there is an issue somewhere in the scripts running from cli

the api.inc.php is loading the main.inc.php and there it looks like the script stops from this lines:

require('bootstrap.php');
Bootstrap::loadConfig();

i am not sure and don't know how to debug in this way of using bootstrap, any advice welcome...

ntozier

at a command prompt run:
/usr/bin/php -v
hit enter.
Paste the output here.

The first two "tested with" commands do not have the -f option like the third one does. Neither does the syslog entries.

What is the file ownership and permissions on the /var/www/html/support folders/files?

Have either of you consulted your php error log?

jeroenvdk

thanks for your answer @ntozier

output : /usr/bin/php -v

PHP 7.3.22-1+ubuntu16.04.1+deb.sury.org+1 (cli) (built: Sep  9 2020 06:46:12) ( NTS )
Copyright (c) 1997-2018 The PHP Group
Zend Engine v3.3.22, Copyright (c) 1998-2018 Zend Technologies
    with Zend OPcache v7.3.22-1+ubuntu16.04.1+deb.sury.org+1, Copyright (c) 1999-2018, by Zend Technologies

i did all tests also with and without -f parameter and tested also as normal user or www-data user.

nothing recent in /var/log/apache2/error.log or error.log.1

rights on the folder:

ls -l /var/www/html/support
totaal 160

-rw-rw-r--  1 jeroen www-data  5065 dec 18  2019 account.php
-rw-rw-r--  1 jeroen www-data  1918 aug 20 20:53 ajax.php
drwxrwxr-x  2 jeroen www-data  4096 sep 11 14:14 api
drwxrwxr-x  2 jeroen www-data  4096 sep 16  2019 apps
drwxrwxr-x  4 jeroen www-data  4096 sep 16  2019 assets
-rw-rw-r--  1 jeroen www-data  1086 dec 18  2019 avatar.php
-rw-rw-r--  1 jeroen www-data 15343 sep 11 18:14 bootstrap.php
-rw-rw-r--  1 jeroen www-data   611 dec 18  2019 captcha.php
-rw-rw-r--  1 jeroen www-data  2977 dec 18  2019 client.inc.php
drwxrwxr-x  3 jeroen www-data  4096 sep 16  2019 css
-rw-rw-r--  1 jeroen www-data  2387 dec 18  2019 file.php
drwxrwxr-x  3 jeroen www-data  4096 mei 18 23:03 images
drwxrwsr-x 13 jeroen www-data  4096 sep  9 09:18 include
-rw-rw-r--  1 jeroen www-data  6605 dec 18  2019 index.php
drwxrwxr-x  2 jeroen www-data  4096 sep  9 09:01 js
drwxrwxr-x  2 jeroen www-data  4096 sep 16  2019 kb
-rw-rw-r--  1 jeroen www-data  5815 mei 15 22:11 login.php
-rw-rw-r--  1 jeroen www-data   980 dec 18  2019 logo.php
-rw-rw-r--  1 jeroen www-data   714 dec 18  2019 logout.php
-rw-rw-r--  1 jeroen www-data  2252 sep 11 16:02 main.inc2.php
-rw-rw-r--  1 jeroen www-data  2136 sep 11 14:32 main.inc.php
-rw-rw-r--  1 jeroen www-data  2415 dec 18  2019 manage.php
-rw-rw-r--  1 jeroen www-data   940 dec 18  2019 offline.php
-rw-rw-r--  1 jeroen www-data  3043 dec 18  2019 open.php
drwxrwsr-x 12 jeroen www-data  4096 sep  9 09:10 osta
drwxrwxr-x  2 jeroen www-data  4096 sep 16  2019 pages
-rw-rw-r--  1 jeroen www-data  1225 dec 18  2019 profile.php
-rw-rw-r--  1 jeroen www-data  3024 dec 18  2019 pwreset.php
drwxrwxr-x  6 jeroen www-data  4096 mrt  1  2020 scp
-rw-rw-r--  1 jeroen www-data  1163 dec 18  2019 secure.inc.php
-rw-rw-r--  1 jeroen www-data  5631 mei 17 19:35 tickets.php
-rw-rw-r--  1 jeroen www-data  1589 dec 18  2019 view.php
-rw-rw-r--  1 jeroen www-data  2197 dec 18  2019 web.config

and specific in the cron job folder:

ls -l /var/www/html/support/api/
-rw-r--r-- 1 jeroen www-data   856 sep 11 14:35 api.inc.php
-rwxrwxrwx 1 jeroen www-data   743 sep 11 18:18 cron.php
-rw-r--r-- 1 jeroen www-data  1067 dec 18  2019 http.php
-rw-r--r-- 1 jeroen www-data    34 dec 18  2019 index.php
-rw-r--r-- 1 jeroen www-data   917 dec 18  2019 pipe.php

Thanks in advance for help

jeroenvdk

Next test: we created a new virtual machine with ubuntu 18.04, apache, mysql and restored the backup from original osticket.

osTicket versie v1.14.3 (f4f5bc6)
Web Server Software Apache/2.4.29 (Ubuntu)
MySQLversie 5.7.31
PHPversie 7.2.24-0ubuntu0.18.04.6

PHPextensions all green/checked

Again no luck, tickets are not automatic created with the cron job.

tested different ways with or without user in the cron job, alle the same result.

also tested on this way with crontab as user www-data

https://forum.osticket.com/d/95709-resolved-help-for-setup-cron-job

Is there any logging we could enable extra to be sure where somthing hangs or stops?

I can see in sudo nano /var/log/syslog that cronjob was started but in osticket or php error log nothing to see.

jeroenvdk

we found the issue, every osticket update/upgrade/migration we restore the ost-config.php file.
In this file we had this custom code below. I can't remember why we added this code in the past.

I removed this code and problem was solved, webpage works and cronjob works also.

/* CUSTOM CODE START */
 
// If page requires SSL (forced true here), and we're not in SSL mode, 
// redirect to the SSL version of the page
 
if($_SERVER['SERVER_PORT'] != 443) {
   header("HTTP/1.1 301 Moved Permanently");
   header("Location: https://".$_SERVER['HTTP_HOST'].$_SERVER['REQUEST_URI']);
   exit();
}
 
/* CUSTOM CODE END */

Could somebody close the ticket please?