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Akeeba Backup for Joomla!

#12789 CRON Job Not Working For Backup

Posted in ‘Akeeba Backup for Joomla! 4 & 5’
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Environment Information

Joomla! version
n/a
PHP version
n/a
Akeeba Backup version
n/a

Latest post by nicholas on Wednesday, 27 June 2012 08:27 CDT

Tuesday, 26 June 2012 09:12 CDT

habdaddy
Mandatory information about my setup:

Have I read the related troubleshooter articles above before posting (which pages?)? Yes
Have I searched the tickets before posting? Yes
Have I read the documentation before posting (which pages?)? Yes
Joomla! version: 2.5.6
PHP version: 5.3
MySQL version: 5.1
Host: (optional, but it helps us help you)
Akeeba Backup version: 3.5.2 pro

EXTREMELY IMPORTANT: Please attach a ZIP file containing your Akeeba Backup log file in order for us to help you with any backup or restoration issue. If the file is over 2Mb, please upload it on your server and post a link to it.

Description of my issue:
I am running a CRON job using the following:
/usr/bin/php /home/commonfo/public_html/cli/akeeba-backup.php --profile=1
I have installed Admin Tools (pro) as well and am using the .htaccess feature. I have allowed direct access to these files cli/akeeba-backup.php in the Exceptions area. I have other websites on this server running the backup without a problem but they do not have Admin Tools installed. Is there something else that I have missed?

Tuesday, 26 June 2012 11:03 CDT

nicholas
The .htaccess Maker has nothing to do with it. The cli/akeeba-backup.php script runs in the CLI, not through a web browser, which makes the .htaccess file irrelevant. Would you like to help me help you? What do you mean "not working"? Does it start? Do you get an error? Is there a log file generated? Do you get an email from your CRON service?

Nicholas K. Dionysopoulos

Lead Developer and Director

🇬🇷Greek: native 🇬🇧English: excellent 🇫🇷French: basic • 🕐 My time zone is Europe / Athens
Please keep in mind my timezone and cultural differences when reading my replies. Thank you!

Tuesday, 26 June 2012 11:48 CDT

habdaddy
No log file generated making me believe that it never gets executed/started. I have the CRON setup to send an email but all I get is this:
X-Powered-By: PHP/5.3.13
Content-type: text/html

Tuesday, 26 June 2012 11:52 CDT

nicholas
This means that the /usr/bin/php is the PHP CGI executable which is not compatible with the command-line scripts (akeeba-backup.php and akeeba-altbackup.php). You have to ask your host for the path to the PHP CLI executable and use it in your CRON command line.

Nicholas K. Dionysopoulos

Lead Developer and Director

🇬🇷Greek: native 🇬🇧English: excellent 🇫🇷French: basic • 🕐 My time zone is Europe / Athens
Please keep in mind my timezone and cultural differences when reading my replies. Thank you!

Tuesday, 26 June 2012 12:14 CDT

habdaddy
I will contact them and see.

Wednesday, 27 June 2012 07:04 CDT

habdaddy
That was it. When I upgraded to the new version, the path to the php would no longer work (why I do not know). They gave me a new CLI path and now it is working great. Thanks for your help.

Wednesday, 27 June 2012 08:27 CDT

nicholas
The old versions (3.0.x to 3.4.x) advised you to use the CLI binary but would also work with the CGI binary. However, I was using a hack to make Joomla! run in command line mode, necessary for CRON jobs. Since Joomla! 1.7 there is a new API in the Joomla! Platform called JCli (and renamed to JApplicationCli in Joomla! 2.5). It is meant to allow developers to run Joomla! in CLI mode, without a hack. Akeeba Backup 3.5.0 switched to using that instead. The only drawback is that JApplicationCli forbids you to use the CGI binary. You must use the CLI binary. Hence the problem.

Nicholas K. Dionysopoulos

Lead Developer and Director

🇬🇷Greek: native 🇬🇧English: excellent 🇫🇷French: basic • 🕐 My time zone is Europe / Athens
Please keep in mind my timezone and cultural differences when reading my replies. Thank you!

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