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Akeeba Backup for Joomla!

#8356 Run backup.php from the Web

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

Joomla! version
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PHP version
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Akeeba Backup version
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Latest post by nicholas on Thursday, 04 March 2010 04:57 CST

user8706
Hello Nicholas,

will it ever be possible to run a cronjob from the web? When I set up the job on my managed server I get the error-message, that the script cannot be run from the web. Obviously every script-call from my server backend is considered to be a call by web. With other tools like XCloner it is possible to run the script by starting it e. g. via http://....../cloner.cron.php without any problem.

If there is no way, it will never be possible for me to run your script automatically ... which is sad. Any idea?

Regards,
Uwe

nicholas
Akeeba Staff
Manager
Running from the web comes with a huge catch which renders this backup mode useless: PHP meant for web usage has a maximum execution time limit. backup.php requires no time limit, so that it can back up your site.

However, everything is not lost! Akeeba Backup, like its predecessor, comes with the front-end backup mode. In order to enable it you can click on the Configuration toolbar button in Akeeba Backup's control panel page (you have to be a Super Administrator to see this button), enable the front-end backup feature and enter a front-end backup URL. Then, you can follow the same procedure as you would in JoomlaPack. Since Akeeba Backup's documentation is still under construction, you can see JoomlaPack's documentation at http://www.akeebabackup.com/joomlapack-2x/febackups.html.

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!

user8706
Thanks for this tip - but it seems not to work for me. I just tried to run the frontend-backup by a cronjob, which I added to my servers cronjob-menu.

This is the URL: http://www.mysite.com/index2.php?option=com_joomlapack&view=backup&key=mysecretkey&format=raw

But when I run the cronjob, this gives me an 403-error. BTW: it is the same when I add Akeeba backup to the user menu. It also gives me the 403 error.

Unfortunately I cannot access /usr/bin/wget to add that to the cronjob. This is not allowed on my managed server. But maybe I also misunderstood the synthax?

nicholas
Akeeba Staff
Manager
You haven't enabled the front-end backup feature. First, login as a Super Administrator (just Administrator will NOT do), then go to Akeeba Backup's control panel page. On the upper right hand corner of the page you will find an icon labeled "Parameters". Click on it. A new window pops-up. Set "Enable front-end and remote backup" to "Yes". In the "Secret word" field enter something - keep this somewhere, we'll need it. Click on Save. The window closes.

The URL to run the CRON job is:
http://www.mysite.com/index2.php?option=com_akeeba&view=backup&key=mysecretkey&format=raw 

where "mysecretkey" is what you previously entered in the "Secret Word" field.

Do note that if your host's pseudo-CRON doesn't support redirections, the backup will never complete. In this case, you can't use your host's pseudo-CRON feature to backup your site. The reason is simple: you can't backup your entire site within the strict time limit a single page load must run. This is why Akeeba Backup is 50k lines of code and not about 50-60 lines; most of the code deals with preventing and working around causes of timeouts :D

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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