Cron::edit_line and "bad minute"

[Echelon17]

Query URL being generated:

http://xx.xx.xx.xx:2086/xml-api/cpan...d=/usr/bin/php /home/path/to/script > /dev/null&day=*&hour=*&linekey=687e5a83695ba3eabaa2e29ace490b6d&minute=*/15&month=*&weekday=*

This always returns the following error:

[linekey] => 263470a91ddc5550c627fdd05ba2bfcd
[status] => 0
[statusmsg] => "-":1: bad minute
errors in crontab file, can't install.

Any ideas?

[Echelon17]

OK, on further investigation using the Dumper tool, it seems that if the "command" contains a space it drops the rest of the argument(s). Any solution to this?

[cPanelDavidN]

I don't want to sound silly, but did you try encoding you URL query values?

command=/usr/bin/php+/home/path/to/script+>/dev/null

or

command=%2Fusr%2Fbin%2Fphp+%2Fhome%2Fpath%2Fto%2Fscript+%3E+%2Fdev%2Fnull

Other than that, I noticed that your posted query URL is lacking "cpanel_xmlapi_apiversion=2" which is required for making API2 calls via XML-API. Additionally, I'd suggest using "cpanel_xmlapi_user" instead of just "user". This is not manditory, however you'll find problems if you call a function, say Ftp:addftp, where an input parameter key is "user". The result would be mangling of the first user/value pair. So, we have "cpanel_xmlapi_user" to clarify.

Best Regards,
-DavidN

[Echelon17]

I don't want to sound silly, but did you try encoding you URL query values?

Yep, I tried that, still no luck.

Are you inferring I should add "+" in place of spaces for the command part of the API call?

Other than that, I noticed that your posted query URL is lacking "cpanel_xmlapi_apiversion=2" which is required for making API2 calls via XML-API.

The API documentation says it defaults to version 2, and the error response back is indicating it's using version 2, hence I haven't added this.

Additionally, I'd suggest using "cpanel_xmlapi_user" instead of just "user". This is not manditory, however you'll find problems if you call a function, say Ftp:addftp, where an input parameter key is "user". The result would be mangling of the first user/value pair. So, we have "cpanel_xmlapi_user" to clarify.

Makes sense, will update my scripts with that, thanks

[cPanelDavidN]

I tried it out on 11.28.83 and it appears to work fine for me.

Below is my output from the list/add/list/edit/list command. Following that is my test scripts (which use the XML-API PHP client class)

[David-Pro:] $ php -f cron_listcron.php; php -f cron_add_line.php; php -f cron_listcron.php; php -f cron_edit_line.php; php -f cron_listcron.php 
URL: https://10.1.1.1:2087/xml-api/cpanel
DATA: cpanel_xmlapi_user=dave&cpanel_xmlapi_module=Cron&cpanel_xmlapi_func=listcron&cpanel_xmlapi_apiversion=2
Authentication Header: Authorization: Basic -hashed-


RESPONSE:
 <?xml version="1.0" ?>
  <cpanelresult>
    <apiversion>2</apiversion>
    <data>
      <count>1</count>
    </data>
    <event>
      <result>1</result>
    </event>
    <func>listcron</func>
    <module>Cron</module>
  </cpanelresult>

SimpleXML var_dump:
SimpleXMLElement Object
(
    [apiversion] => 2
    [data] => SimpleXMLElement Object
        (
            [count] => 1
        )

    [event] => SimpleXMLElement Object
        (
            [result] => 1
        )

    [func] => listcron
    [module] => Cron
)

URL: https://10.1.1.1:2087/xml-api/cpanel
DATA: command=%2Fbin%2Fls+%2Fhome%2Fdave+%3E%3E+%2Ftmp%2Fls.log&day=%2A&hour=10&minute=00&month=%2A&weekday=%2A&cpanel_xmlapi_user=dave&cpanel_xmlapi_module=Cron&cpanel_xmlapi_func=add_line&cpanel_xmlapi_apiversion=2
Authentication Header: Authorization: Basic -hashed-


RESPONSE:
 <?xml version="1.0" ?>
  <cpanelresult>
    <apiversion>2</apiversion>
    <data>
      <linekey>37df09d7a25ba2dd756b757944a05865</linekey>
      <status>1</status>
      <statusmsg>crontab installed</statusmsg>
    </data>
    <event>
      <result>1</result>
    </event>
    <func>add_line</func>
    <module>Cron</module>
  </cpanelresult>

SimpleXML var_dump:
SimpleXMLElement Object
(
    [apiversion] => 2
    [data] => SimpleXMLElement Object
        (
            [linekey] => 37df09d7a25ba2dd756b757944a05865
            [status] => 1
            [statusmsg] => crontab installed
        )

    [event] => SimpleXMLElement Object
        (
            [result] => 1
        )

    [func] => add_line
    [module] => Cron
)

URL: https://10.1.1.1:2087/xml-api/cpanel
DATA: cpanel_xmlapi_user=dave&cpanel_xmlapi_module=Cron&cpanel_xmlapi_func=listcron&cpanel_xmlapi_apiversion=2
Authentication Header: Authorization: Basic -hashed-


RESPONSE:
 <?xml version="1.0" ?>
  <cpanelresult>
    <apiversion>2</apiversion>
    <data>
      <command>/bin/ls /home/dave &gt;&gt; /tmp/ls.log</command>
      <command_htmlsafe>/bin/ls /home/dave &amp;gt;&amp;gt; /tmp/ls.log</command_htmlsafe>
      <count>1</count>
      <day>*</day>
      <hour>10</hour>
      <linekey>37df09d7a25ba2dd756b757944a05865</linekey>
      <minute>00</minute>
      <month>*</month>
      <weekday>*</weekday>
    </data>
    <data>
      <count>2</count>
    </data>
    <event>
      <result>1</result>
    </event>
    <func>listcron</func>
    <module>Cron</module>
  </cpanelresult>

SimpleXML var_dump:
SimpleXMLElement Object
(
    [apiversion] => 2
    [data] => Array
        (
            [0] => SimpleXMLElement Object
                (
                    [command] => /bin/ls /home/dave >> /tmp/ls.log
                    [command_htmlsafe] => /bin/ls /home/dave &gt;&gt; /tmp/ls.log
                    [count] => 1
                    [day] => *
                    [hour] => 10
                    [linekey] => 37df09d7a25ba2dd756b757944a05865
                    [minute] => 00
                    [month] => *
                    [weekday] => *
                )

            [1] => SimpleXMLElement Object
                (
                    [count] => 2
                )

        )

    [event] => SimpleXMLElement Object
        (
            [result] => 1
        )

    [func] => listcron
    [module] => Cron
)

URL: https://10.1.1.1:2087/xml-api/cpanel
DATA: linekey=37df09d7a25ba2dd756b757944a05865&command=%2Fbin%2Fls+%2Fhome%2Fdave+%3E%3E+%2Ftmp%2Fls.log&day=%2A&hour=10&minute=%2A%2F15&month=%2A&weekday=%2A&cpanel_xmlapi_user=dave&cpanel_xmlapi_module=Cron&cpanel_xmlapi_func=edit_line&cpanel_xmlapi_apiversion=2
Authentication Header: Authorization: Basic -hashed-


RESPONSE:
 <?xml version="1.0" ?>
  <cpanelresult>
    <apiversion>2</apiversion>
    <data>
      <linekey>32fbf9c75996d20e2628ef8b6018e189</linekey>
      <status>1</status>
      <statusmsg>crontab installed</statusmsg>
    </data>
    <event>
      <result>1</result>
    </event>
    <func>edit_line</func>
    <module>Cron</module>
  </cpanelresult>

SimpleXML var_dump:
SimpleXMLElement Object
(
    [apiversion] => 2
    [data] => SimpleXMLElement Object
        (
            [linekey] => 32fbf9c75996d20e2628ef8b6018e189
            [status] => 1
            [statusmsg] => crontab installed
        )

    [event] => SimpleXMLElement Object
        (
            [result] => 1
        )

    [func] => edit_line
    [module] => Cron
)

URL: https://10.1.1.1:2087/xml-api/cpanel
DATA: cpanel_xmlapi_user=dave&cpanel_xmlapi_module=Cron&cpanel_xmlapi_func=listcron&cpanel_xmlapi_apiversion=2
Authentication Header: Authorization: Basic -hashed-


RESPONSE:
 <?xml version="1.0" ?>
  <cpanelresult>
    <apiversion>2</apiversion>
    <data>
      <command>/bin/ls /home/dave &gt;&gt; /tmp/ls.log</command>
      <command_htmlsafe>/bin/ls /home/dave &amp;gt;&amp;gt; /tmp/ls.log</command_htmlsafe>
      <count>1</count>
      <day>*</day>
      <hour>10</hour>
      <linekey>32fbf9c75996d20e2628ef8b6018e189</linekey>
      <minute>*/15</minute>
      <month>*</month>
      <weekday>*</weekday>
    </data>
    <data>
      <count>2</count>
    </data>
    <event>
      <result>1</result>
    </event>
    <func>listcron</func>
    <module>Cron</module>
  </cpanelresult>

SimpleXML var_dump:
SimpleXMLElement Object
(
    [apiversion] => 2
    [data] => Array
        (
            [0] => SimpleXMLElement Object
                (
                    [command] => /bin/ls /home/dave >> /tmp/ls.log
                    [command_htmlsafe] => /bin/ls /home/dave &gt;&gt; /tmp/ls.log
                    [count] => 1
                    [day] => *
                    [hour] => 10
                    [linekey] => 32fbf9c75996d20e2628ef8b6018e189
                    [minute] => */15
                    [month] => *
                    [weekday] => *
                )

            [1] => SimpleXMLElement Object
                (
                    [count] => 2
                )

        )

    [event] => SimpleXMLElement Object
        (
            [result] => 1
        )

    [func] => listcron
    [module] => Cron
)

[David-Pro:] $

# cron_listcron.php

<?php
include("xmlapi.php");

$ip = "10.1.1.1";
$root_pass = "s3cr3t!";
$cpuser = 'dave';


$xmlapi = new xmlapi($ip);
$xmlapi->password_auth("root",$root_pass);

$xmlapi->set_debug(1);

$m = 'Cron';
$f = 'listcron';
$args = array();

$xmlapi->api2_query($cpuser, $m, $f, $args);
?>

# cron_add_line.php

<?php
include("xmlapi.php");

$ip = "10.1.1.1";
$root_pass = "s3cr3t!";
$cpuser = 'dave';


$xmlapi = new xmlapi($ip);
$xmlapi->password_auth("root",$root_pass);

$xmlapi->set_debug(1);

$m = 'Cron';
$f = 'add_line';
$args = array(
    'command' => '/bin/ls /home/dave >> /tmp/ls.log',
    'day'      => '*',
    'hour'      => '10',
    'minute'  => '00',
    'month'      => '*',
    'weekday' => '*',
);

$xmlapi->api2_query($cpuser, $m, $f, $args);
?>

# cron_edit_line.php

<?php
include("xmlapi.php");

$ip = "10.1.1.1";
$root_pass = "s3cr3t!";
$cpuser = 'dave';


$xmlapi = new xmlapi($ip);
$xmlapi->password_auth("root",$root_pass);

$xmlapi->set_debug(1);

$m = 'Cron';
$f = 'edit_line';
$args = array(
    'linekey' => '37df09d7a25ba2dd756b757944a05865',
    'command' => '/bin/ls /home/dave >> /tmp/ls.log',
    'day'      => '*',
    'hour'      => '10',
    'minute'  => '*/15',
    'month'      => '*',
    'weekday' => '*',
);

$xmlapi->api2_query($cpuser, $m, $f, $args);
?>

And to clarify, about the pluses (+), I was simply referring to general url parameter encoding, nothing crazy

Your absolutely right about the default behave of the XML-API query parsing. If it notices that it is a cPanel API tag and the request does not contain the 'cpanel_xmlapi_apiversion' key/value pair, it will assume API2. I just prefer to be explicit. It's up to you

Best Regards,
-DavidN

[Echelon17]

David,

Why reinvent the wheel when I can use your XMLAPI class huh?

I modified my code to workaround your class, and everything is working great now. Thank you very much for your assistance.