Different path to PHP not respected in crontab > scheduled tasks.

[bazizsafi]

Hi,

on our web hoster we need to use a different path to PHP to select the correct PHP version. Instead of /usr/bin/php we need to use /usr/bin/php8.0.
No big deal, this is covered in the installation guide at https://github.com/freescout-helpdesk/freescout/wiki/Installation-Guide#9-configuring-cron-jobs.

However, setting this path to PHP in the crontab does not change the path to PHP of the scheduled tasks:

This is the crontab with the desired path to PHP:

* * * * * /usr/bin/php8.0 /path/to/freescout/installation/artisan schedule:run >> /dev/null 2>&1

When I run this command manually, it reveals that the scheduled tasks use the default path to PHP '/usr/bin/php':

$ /usr/bin/php8.0 /path/to/freescout/installation/artisan schedule:run
Running scheduled command: '/usr/bin/php' 'artisan' freescout:fetch-monitor > '/dev/null' 2>&1
Running scheduled command: '/usr/bin/php' 'artisan' freescout:check-conv-viewers > '/dev/null' 2>&1
Running scheduled command: '/usr/bin/php' 'artisan' freescout:fetch-emails > '/path/to/freescout/installation/storage/logs/fetch-emails.log' 2>&1
Running scheduled command: '/usr/bin/php' 'artisan' queue:work --queue='emails,default,1e0dfc970c9f3c1aca93f5554779bc52' --sleep=5 --tries=1 > '/path/to/freescout/installation/storage/logs/queue-jobs.log' 2>&1
Content-type: text/html; charset=UTF-8

$

How do I make the scheduled tasks also use our desired path to PHP?

[freescout-helpdesk]

Good question. We don't know yet.

[freescout-helpdesk]

It looks like there is no some good way. The only way is to hardcode the path to your PHP like this: https://stackoverflow.com/a/45962045

[bazizsafi]

Closed as completed, hm? You guys are quick! ;-)

Well, I concur this is not really a FreeScout issue, but rather a Symfony issue. This Stackoverflow question lead me onto the right path. Obviously PhpExecutableFinder has trouble identifying the current PHP process in PhpExecutableFinder.php:57 when called from a crontab environment.

However, defining PHP_PATH to the desired path to PHP would make PhpExecutableFinder return it (as long as it is an executable file).

Unfortunately, defining PHP_PATH in FreeScout's .env file does not solve the issue. It doesn't seem to be regarded in the crontab environment.

So I crudely fixed the problem by defining PHP_PATH right in the crontab environment with the following crontab command:

* * * * * export PHP_PATH=/usr/bin/php8.0; $PHP_PATH /path/to/freescout/installation/artisan schedule:run >> /dev/null 2>&1

You might want to include this approach (or something more elegant) in your documentation to help all those FreeScout users on shared/hosted webspace.

[freescout-helpdesk]

Thanks for sharing the solution. Added to https://github.com/freescout-helpdesk/freescout/wiki/Installation-Guide

[bazizsafi]

You're welcome, I have to thank you for this awesome software!!

One tiny remark regarding the Installation Guide:
In the example, you're using /usr/local/bin/php-8.0 on the one hand and /usr/bin/php8.0 on the other hand.
I mean, you could use different paths at those different places and people will still figure it out, I guess, but it's inconsistent and might confuse less technically-skilled users.