Show Running Processes in PHP

I haven't played with vztop before, but it sounds like it's just virtuozzo's version of the "top" command.

That said, "top" (and apparently vztop) are interactive programs. They don't just print data out and end, so trying to capture the output could be tricky or next to impossible. Sometimes PHP has trouble capturing unusual outputs, and a general rule of thumb is that if you pipe the output to a file, like this:

somecommand > output.txt

...then output.txt should contain whatever text PHP should be able to read. (there may be exceptions, but it's usually true)

I know you said that they want that exact command, but vztop/top is really just running the vzps/ps command every few seconds, so the vzps command should be able to dump all the same process data (with the correct parameters). You could probably take that dump and convert it into output that looks like vztop's screen.

If you don't want to do that, then the only other things I can think of are beyond normal PHP. There could be a program out there that hooks into the operating system's graphics level (or at least right above it), and dumps out the current screen view to a file. If such a program exists, you could start the program with PHP, run the program with PHP, wait a second or two and kill the vztop process, then pull in the logged screen view.

Also, depending on how similar vztop is to top, you could also try out this solution:
http://www.directadmin.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-6539.html

I've tried using a shell script to output to .txt file, to no avail, and using the -n 1 tag stops it and makes it a "Static" output rather than an "Interactive" output.

Just because the output APPEARS to be static doesn't mean that it's being sent to the normal outputs. There are different ways to send data to a screen. It's sort of like a TV with different channels. While YOU can change the channels and see the different content, programs like PHP are kind of stuck on the "main" channel, which is STDOUT. (This is not a 100% accurate explanation - I'm just trying to create a simple analogy)

If vztop is using a particular channel for sending out the automatically-updating data, then it's probably just sending the same static content over the same channel. Same channel, different content. :/

Just for curiousity's sake, try the first script here:
http://www.directadmin.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-6539.html

Just change the top command to your vztop version, then save the script as /tmp/capturetop.sh and, set up the shell script to have 777 permissions. Then, manually run the PHP script from the command line that executes something like:

exec("/tmp/capturetop.sh > /tmp/capturetop.log");

See if it makes any difference (the main difference would be the strict setting of the TERM environment variable).

Hi,
none of the above methods work, they are all outputting the exact same thing, if i run "vztopcapture.sh" via command line it outputs "vztop.log" and the file is perfect, however if i execute vztopcapture.sh from PHP using various commands it always gives me the <2HR or something like that output.

I've tried running it using a CRON also but the cron fails and doesn't capture the screen dump either.

How is the PHP script being executed? From the command line or from a web server? (Are you running it by going to the command line and running:
php /path/to/my/script.php
or are you going to a web browser and hitting a URL for that PHP script?)

Just so you know, the " 22 stuff is ANSI code. ANSI can be used by programs to draw on the screen. A server program sends ANSI codes like that, and the client program (if it is capable of ANSI), converts those codes into instructions that say things like, "Put a blue block at this location".

The reason the TERM environment variable is important is because it can potentially tell the script that the script should dump regular old terminal data (VT100) without any of the ANSI codes/formatting. If you're running the script from the web, then the web browser has different environment variables, and the script will still use the ANSI stuff by default.

Now fixed, using the following code:

<?php
exec('/usr/bin/vztop -e -b -n1', $uptime);
foreach($uptime as $uptime2)
{
     $uptimeX .= "<pre>".$uptime2."</pre>";
}
print $uptimeX;
?>

NOW... this is working but nothings lined up correctly, Can anybody split this up so that i can print it into a nice table with rows & collums?

Wasn't that the original command you tried? :) Or was the -b parameter something that was needed to make it output correctly?

Do you have an example URL where we can see what it looks like (with it not lining up correctly) ?

the "-b" removes the colour & highlighting from the script, which in turn allows PHP to post it.

This is what it does now, this is by adding the row code into each instance of $uptimeX
http://www.veportal.com/try/bad.jpg

And i want something like this:
http://www.veportal.com/try/good.jpg

So far ive done this by exploding $uptimeX['9']; by spaces for the header which im happy todo for every row BUT when for example one with PID #1 is sent it goes to the PHP with 5/6 white spaces before the actual number meaning my explode doesnt give the same array numbers every time, so each row would need its own code and a foreach wouldnt suffice.

this is how it posts to the PHP:
http://www.veportal.com/try/pre.jpg

ok need this done ASAP now, first to it gets the points.

I have attached the PHP i have so far, i need to make it ignore Additional spaces AND i also need to make it ignore $uptime['0'] to $uptime['8'] as these dont fit into the table!!!

exec('/usr/bin/vztop -e -b -n1', $uptime);
 
	foreach($uptime as $uptime2) 
		{
			$output2 = preg_split('/\s+/', $uptime2);
			
				$uptimeX .= '<tr>
					<td>'.$output2['0'].'</td>
					<td>'.$output2['1'].'</td>
					<td>'.$output2['2'].'</td>
					<td>'.$output2['3'].'</td>
					<td>'.$output2['4'].'</td>
					<td>'.$output2['5'].'</td>
					<td>'.$output2['6'].'</td>
					<td>'.$output2['7'].'</td>
					<td>'.$output2['8'].'</td>
					<td>'.$output2['9'].'</td>
					<td>'.$output2['10'].'</td>
					<td>'.$output2['11'].'</td>
					<td>'.$output2['12'].'</td>
					<td>'.$output2['13'].'</td>
				</tr>';
		}
		
$output = preg_split('/\s+/', $uptime['9']);
print '<table border="1" width="100%">';
print '<tr>
		<td>'.$output['1'].'</td>
		<td>'.$output['2'].'</td>
		<td>'.$output['3'].'</td>
		<td>'.$output['4'].'</td>
		<td>'.$output['5'].'</td>
		<td>'.$output['6'].'</td>
		<td>'.$output['7'].'</td>
		<td>'.$output['8'].'</td>
		<td>'.$output['9'].'</td>
		<td>'.$output['10'].'</td>
		<td>'.$output['11'].'</td>
		<td>'.$output['12'].'</td>
		<td>'.$output['13'].'</td>
		<td>'.$output['14'].'</td>
	</tr>';	
print $uptimeX;
print '</table>';

                                              

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You can pass another parameter to the split or explode functions to limit the number of items in the final array. For example:

$string = "The quick brown fox jumped";
$array = explode(" ",$string,3);

// Array will look like:
// $array[0] = "The";
// $array[1] = "quick";
// $array[2] = "brown fox jumped";

That might help with the additional spaces.

Thats just showing how to use the explode function, it's already being used and no good for additional spaces as the total number of spaces varies.

By the way, the above example was using explode, but limit is also a valid parameter for preg_split. I should have clarified that.

No help :(

I'm not sure what that means. What have you tried and what's not working? My script above should work properly for parsing out the columns into arrays, regardless of spacing, so I'm unclear as to what you need if that does not solve it.

Just so you're aware, this is the second question that you've asked (that I've participated in, at least) where experts have spent multiple days trying to help and you've ended up just closing off the question when it seems like the proposed answers have helped you in at least one way. Per the last 3-4 comments on this question, if you found that my code did not help you, then saying, "No help" does not give us enough informaiton to help you further (which I then asked for so I COULD help you).

My last preg_match reponse should work on the output you showed in your example (I tested it against your sample first). i don't know if you're just trying to conserve your points, but it's rather unfair to close out a question if we've given you lots of information and proposed answers that may have helped you find an answer.

This is similar to hiring a consultant to help you pick the best choice among choices A, B, C, and D. The consultant spends 5 hours giving you advice and saying that you should pick B and C, and then you send the person away without paying them, saying that you picked B on your own. Except the experts here don't get paid - we just get points, and most of us work for a living, which means we take hours that we COULD use to get paid, but instead use them to try to help people here at EE.

Wow. Really?

Just for future reference (should anyone else read this), my last comment of "Wow. Really?" was in response to him simply accepting the first comment after I objected to him trying to close the question, saying that he had figured it out himself.

I did figure this out for myself, Your response was not an answer to the question asked, And therfor is not acceptable.

I accepted that solution as someone kept complaining about me trying to close the question.
You tell me how i resolved this and i will accept your answer... until then... Why do you keep re-opening the discussion on this?

You asked two questions in this thread. The first was about getting the output. I provided a fair amount of information on the first question (regarding ANSI coding, it being a variation of top, etc), after which you seemed to get the answer. Then you stated:

"ok need this done ASAP now, first to it gets the points.

I have attached the PHP i have so far, i need to make it ignore Additional spaces AND i also need to make it ignore $uptime['0'] to $uptime['8'] as these dont fit into the table!!!
"

You even attached an example where you were using preg_split to split the lines into columns.

I gave you EXACTLY what you asked for, tested using YOUR data. That alone should have provided me with the points, according to your comment.

One day later, in response you said "no help", which seemed strange, because I DID test it with your data. I then I asked for more details (because "no help" gives me no information to further help you) and you ignored me and later tried to close the question.

Once I objected, you immediately accepted a comment that wasn't even an answer to your first question (much less the second), which has all the appearances of trying to "punish" me for objecting.

There is no way you can assign me points now. Normally, I don't object if someone figures something out on their own and closes the question, especially if they are new to EE. The reason I am continuing this conversation is because this is the second thread / question that you've asked (and I've seen) where experts have spent quite a bit of time and effort trying to assist you, providing you with information and suggested answers, which seem to at least lead you in the right direction, and afterwards you simply try to close the question and "stiff" them. It is simply unprofessional.

Like I said, many of us help out only for points. If you're going to put a question out there, asking for immediate help with 500 points and get a lot of information out of it, the least you can do is award points to the people who gave you information.

First of all, i tried to close the questions as in this instance especially... i STILL havnt got it displaying correctly, but i have some form of output which i DID get for myself!

And i tried to close the question because im sick of EE Spamming me 5-6 emails a day telling me its abandoned... it's not i was waiting for an answer!

1. I can't do anything about EE spamming you (I'm just a user like you). However, in my experience, you should only get 1 email per abandoned question, so if you're getting 5-6 emails a day, then maybe you have 5-6 questions that you simply left open.

2. I explained how I answered the question. You still have not given any information that indicates that my last code snippet did not do what you asked for. I do not understand why you are so resistant to giving credit for answers and informatoin. (Or if it did not work, as you claim, why you are so resistant to giving details about how it did not work.)

Just so you know, EE is not some random forum where you just ask a question and then leave. When you ask a question, you are the OWNER of that question. As long as the question is not closed and has not been answered, then it is still an open question. So if you were not waiting for an answer, then at THAT time, you need to post a comment saying that you want to close the question and why.

Otherwise, you have experts occasionally checking into your question for updates, using their time to try to get an answer for you. If you do not care about anyone else's time except your own, then go ahead and keep abandoning questions, but don't complain when we post objections.

Again, if you're a newcomer and don't understand the common practices and rules, it's fine if you make a mistake or don't follow them, but I have little sympathy for the few people who do it multiple times and seem to be intentionally less-than-truthful. Some experts might let it slide, but I know that you're probably going to pull this type of stunt again and stiff someone else out of their time and effort.

Unless vePortal can explain otherwise, post 25519238 should have answered his question.

Per my last comment, post 25519238 should be an appropriate response.