I need to use exec() in my PHP script to call another (long-running) PHP script.

I am currently trying to create a couple of simple test scripts, but I end up with an infinite loop.

test.php is my initial script and simple.php is the script that it calls via exec().

simple.php:

simple.php works fine if I go into Terminal and execute:

php tasks/simple.php

But when I try and call it via exec() in test.php, I end up with an infinite loop. The code shows the commands I’ve tried, along with the result for each one.

test.php:

/dev/null &'; // With this, the browser doesn't get stuck in an infinite loop, but simple.php is called thousands of times

//$cmd = 'php tasks/this-script-does-not-exist.php';// Loops forever

//$cmd = "php /home/public_html/my_test/tasks/simple.php"; // Loops forever

//$cmd = 'php /home/public_html/my_test/tasks/simple.php'; // Loops forever

//$cmd = 'php-cli tasks/simple.php'; // $return_val: 127. $output:
/*
Array
(
)
*/

//$cmd = "php-cli /home/public_html/my_test/tasks/simple.php"; // $return_val: 0. $output:
/*
Array
(
    [0] => X-Powered-By: PHP/8.1.31
    [1] => Content-Encoding: gzip
    [2] => Vary: Accept-Encoding
    [3] => Content-type: text/html; charset=UTF-8
    [4] => 
    [5] => �UWuP\ק㡻a����n�c�٥�xĥ��nYB��nD@��W�]`��}��o��ǝ3w~'��~@E 80���%���'��]��`�@�,@9 �)���=6"vE����o00�*�*0�2z,-�DX����_����R�q�u��q���y��!D�",��˭����?�@�����e``��;��K������4���8��r��i��DX��e��ui�rB
    [6] => ���4!鷁3��J�Y���?�5��L�](.R�]E��VBO�_�}^���\�{f�ȼ��Ez�N:��7����fU�w�6
�NK�r��:�]�~������R�Qc}V=<�hdj�l�.:������۷��e{`�NK'�P#�p7�'y��m#B*k*��T��׏�:±&o�^��X}�v����KO�dt� ������mߤo��ĸ��3\��b�_p���    H��Et6�&`���{�H�\ޜ�C
��'\�$�X�������M��NZ;��m��6���e�M�{��8�l����+��۸�t�7�ڗ��mu��AN0��u-�1}�l��sn�Oe)��c��(h���z""r��t���c!4���E����ϗ+�e�Ԧ飓C��Թ��ɊW�˖�F�^�+��n?=E�fz\��B��ȟ�x����D뀢:��Xc@xʱ��Qñw�0,�+uP5��7~�����?��F��x��&�?8�O3�(�e�\�\eE����.T1)Cm�A��5�%w�#�7�ɴ�(�'^¥�r�����@��*��e��B��G2����r�K$��٘A����Bvd��2���N��_YD�X���L����TՅ��9_��Z�_?o���B��ќ]�M㐖(���P]�P#;ԃlbd�Q�����"k   ��(�cs��k�A"E]��N��_M<�5�u;��,�z ������,����0%�\�����-�e?Dj����>u���o�   f5��Ѿ\wQ�N�׮�za�
Eb47�����u5��s*�6}�H8U�!<�mzcVc�/��?���O�R�䎾�xg��_s��u<<�o����On/���O;�p'�q;%]��JM�B|9���W����<�����N3�6��؁�$���״�=������i�?�}���F$��e�J��d�]~�7��&l�L��k�����gAk�q&��!��H��F�$������HS���&jDNT�tk�/i�K�X��RL��tL��}�Y���~(*��L.����x��)N���bV1�ΐ�u��N;H�f%��i�!���I��L�՟�va����c�A�t�Ր��J�w�d�.=�N�SDe(����7�J��%"�7̻�Ё#x�8ld�m̟�������&:Nߑ��h*��̙�ܞV��t���H[���~�r/�v��u��o��
#����Ϳ?e\�1x��U~ud��6������d�;@T����x�dG�S�T?��缫�F��b;J%bK#b�a
�}
��s�X��`}w��;���o5�zT�2B�����U5{�'|�(R;��f��}N.7w���*\�����gT��
    [7] => �prS���&�����ID�E-ײf�\j-��"�`0���YFP��������֠D�����eAk+{ж��R7ʹj׉��w{�-l4>�L�Z�%�͌�w殿��B�`�A%6\񐄟��Sj��.�r�����삵o0?��9�1i���7�wd¯*�o���L활��W�
    [8] => �����&,�:b�np�k�`���M�Gϼ��L\4�>z,���^%�r�4��x���=f,v�   �1z+���t��рC���w�*�<��*�sU�^�x�u�8�h����1W�҂��ϧV�ԏdu����T_�%���?ix�WD� w��9˴A��C}j�BߥiBS�Bz�;;�'��뚐�^��9������1AXV��7-��%����ב�O��Rjc������v�d�&��,���fႣ�������,�  �\��V�
    [9] => >y����Z�!��=��=��=�!T%��۳Ic�4��5��PucJ�?,�D%菱�����w�^��V0�����0.�C�7���WK˳Jv�������c���X0�L�4��M���]������h���R�7�����y�#!Ѧ�~�1|�>?��3  o��3�\����,��_��<�\�ޚ�B{����j�gB��߻Ab�,��v_��ڄ�ܦa>F-j��5�R����ejԐ��l
    [10] => �Nj��=��dW(�ʔP�A~NJ��R��T[/C��o��u�օ@�,NL�o����
    [11] => ͧ�^r�ܫ��A��n""e�6č)���Ck|���Y��h59�b�n���4�6Xq�    I��'`��Z��%��b"H���<�a���QZ���^�t/�H��811��5��>��;���wxs,��������ɬ���u)qS8,��W���II�v�o'�{�E��Js��P���^��v�E3CS��x���2���F��[���m
�����
    [12] => Q~&�������?�,�I��{�����T���{�@�b�wH��S��I�4W6M�oW��D��Q��R�E�   #� (M_��LS�Z���J��!�c�Z*��k�P�)E�,7_ߐ]n-�eLI�}L�z�[����| Y.O��k�/O�\���L|"?GG��A�wu�G�+����R�(�����v���?]~�,w4� ���0��/l'��J`�pu��<�:�Kԛm�<��m���`2�����bi���0<�!�Ы{�����O��Y��?���_9��q��\o�ySo��-[p�KM·��p5K�UIh�r5��N7���8;���I�w55$����˼��3�F��-f�N�9���Ԫ�l���\���&��X1�|��^��p&�,q!#�B7o�+�W�}����6�`i]r�l���&Q�Wa]d^�����>�    �+���qb=B�<�t����O��&��F����_�wG5��G�n.ɉ�ւ��4�?���b?���Π�fY�xM�j`��ae6։oqd�
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    [14] => ���8.Ֆ�Y� ����*)���u1���\���ʿ�/�VD[�b��n<��e��2�4�eJ�b|�?kt�7�b(�����i5Xݯmw����pn������M+�l#�A�>�~1~<�w"՗��?�l?�k11/{L����"�,�*�G����.�S��B�飕�h��k�K���x�w}xZ`v���,��#9<��Ȉ�=����Z?oOc��:+OA��R�$� +v�M{
�Ԙ�QsI��9k�TF��U*oV}��|�F��Z��&����]R&�a��|������ŅKNS��?4r���~�M�"�G� ��S}����7D����S:���*Uk�<���;��\�!;B5F�tt�|�ʰ�!h�j$�; ��=��`[{a�%<�zyt���k�%'u�������u]D��.�n�¢Ӽ��@����?wK��~�@�
)
 */

//$cmd = "php /home/public_html/my_test/tasks/simple.php"; // Loops forever

$output = null;
$return_val = -1;
exec($cmd, $output, $return_val);
echo "
Return val: " . print_r($return_val, true) . "
";

echo "
Output: " . print_r($output, true) . "
";


This and this haven’t helped. Any ideas?