#18707 [NEW]: Can't run PHP script in background from a PHP CGI script?

From: scottg@particle.net Operating system: Linux 2.2.20 PHP version: 4.2.1 PHP Bug Type: Unknown/Other Function Bug description: Can't run PHP script in background from a PHP CGI script? This is the strangest thing in the world and I have no idea why it happens. I'm using Linux 2.2.20 with PHP 4.2.1. I have PHP compiled in as a module and I have an external PHP binary for CGI work. I want bg.cgi to run in the background. start.cgi: #!/usr/php/bin/php -q <? system("/usr/php/bin/php -f /somepath/bg.cgi >>/dev/null 2>>/dev/null &"); echo "Ok!\n"; ?> bg.cgi: #!/apps/php/bin/php -q <? sleep(5); mail ("scottg@nospam.com", "Test Subject", "Test Message"); ?> I run start.cgi with the brower like a normal cgi script - http://www.whatever.com/start.cgi. The web page says Ok! like it should. In the background now I have a bg.cgi process but its going crazy. It dies and restarts repeatedly. It gots on for about 1 minute then gives up. The process number increases with each new bg.cgi process. Only one bg.cgi process every exists though. Strangest thing ever. I never do get the email message bg.cgi is suspose to send. If I run start.cgi from the command prompt all is well, only one bg.cgi runs fine and I get the email after 5 seconds. Anyone know why bg.cgi runs crazy if called like this? Oh ya, if I had a start.php: <html> <? system("/apps/php/bin/php -q -f /home/scottg/web/run/bg.cgi >>/dev/null 2>>/dev/null &"); ?> </html> and just viewied it in the browser so that the php module runs bg.cgi all works fine too. -- Edit bug report at http://bugs.php.net/?id=18707&edit=1 -- Fixed in CVS: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=18707&r=fixedcvs Fixed in release: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=18707&r=alreadyfixed Need backtrace: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=18707&r=needtrace Try newer version: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=18707&r=oldversion Not developer issue: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=18707&r=support Expected behavior: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=18707&r=notwrong Not enough info: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=18707&r=notenoughinfo Submitted twice: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=18707&r=submittedtwice register_globals: http://bugs.php.net/fix.php?id=18707&r=globals