How to set CRON to execute a php file outside of a public html folder?

Question

I have a php file located at, let's say, for example:

/data/web/process.php

This file is not publicly available (no virtual host is running in that folder, but apache is installed). I need to execute this file every minute every day.

I know I can open crontab with crontab -e, but I'm not sure what exactly should I write to the file so that what I need to do works.

Any help, please?

Answer 1

run crontab -e and add line:

* * * * * /usr/bin/php -f /data/web/process.php 2>&1 >> /path/to/output/file.log

Before you do that, make sure that /usr/bin/php -f /data/web/process.php does what you want. Also note, that cron will run it as same user who called crontab -e, so if you run it as user rimmer it will run as rimmer, if as a root, it will run as a root.

if you want it to be executed as apache user, do:

sudo -u www-data crontab -e

assuming www-data is your apache user. You can also create a file /etc/cron.d/my-php-job.

Make sure no bad guys can edit /data/web/process.php file and review that file carefully. I would make this file root owned and with 644 permission. Do not make it apache user owned and writable.

Answer 2

Try the following:

/path/to/php -f /data/web/process.php