Hi there, can anyone help me please I want to set up a demo site similar to the moodle demo, where people can go in have a play and the system restores itself after a period of time - I understand this has something to do with the cron instructions.
If anyone can send me these I would be very grateful.
I am working with moodle 2.0.8+
Sarah x
Wow, this is going to take some understanding I really appreciate your reply and fingers crossed I will get this to work.
Many thanks x
For Windows users, there are a couple of options, but as I have never tried them, this is more of an intellectual exercise rather than a recommendation. You can download and install a program called CRONw, This does lots of things that the cron does in a linux environment. The other thing you can do is to use Task Manager and set up a schedule to link to a "task.php" file on your server which will do as you instruct it to. You should be able to get sufficient information to write a 'task.php" file even without a lot of php knowledge.
Hello Visvanath
I have finally found the time to go through your instructions on creating a demo site as above.
My demo I want is be is http://myhub.pd-hub.com
I have created 2 files
One backup.sh - one restore.sh
The backup.sh have the following in the file.
$ cp -a /home/roberygp/public_html/myhub /public_html/myhub/backup ; save the Moodle code
$ cp -a /home/roberygp/public_html/myhub/myhubdata /public_html/myhub/backup ; save the Moodle data
$ mysqldump --opt -u root -pSECRET myhubdata > /public_html/myhub/backup/myhubdata.dump ; save the database
The restore.sh has$ rm -rf /home/roberygp//public_html/myhub
$ cp -a /home/roberygp//public_html/myhub/backup/myhub /path/to
$ rm -rf /home/roberygp//public_html/myhub/myhubdata
$ cp -a //home/roberygp//public_html/myhub/backup/myhubdata /public_html/myhub
$ mysql -u root -pSECRET -e "drop database myhubdata"
$ mysql -u root -pSECRET -e "create database myhubdata default character set utf8 collate utf8_unicode_ci"
$ mysql -u root -pSECRET myhubdata < /home/roberygp//public_html/myhub/backup/myhubdata.dump
The cron is set as
/public_html/myhub/restore.sh
But I am getting a message from the cron:
/bin/sh: -c: line 0: unexpected EOF while looking for matching `''
/bin/sh: -c: line 1: syntax error: unexpected end of file
Would you be able to guide me to where I have gone wrong please. x
Hi Sarah,
I notice that you are using double slashes "//" in your restore.sh script.
Also, shouldn't the path "/public_html/myhub/backup" actually be "/home/roberygp/public_html/backup"? Assuming the latter path is the correct one, I think that your scripts should be set up as follows:
** backup.sh
$ cp -a /home/roberygp/public_html/myhub /home/roberygp/public_html/backup ; save the Moodle code
$ cp -a /home/roberygp/public_html/myhubdata /home/roberygp/public_html/backup ; save the Moodle data
$ mysqldump -u root -pSECRET myhubdata > /home/roberygp/public_html/backup/myhubdata.dump ; save the database
Notes:
1. I took off the "--opt" parameter, as it is on by default.
2. If your database is set up as a transactional db (InnoDB), as it should, the mysqldump command would be best defined like so:
$ mysqldump -u root -pSECRET --skip-lock-tables --single-transaction myhubdata > /home/roberygp/public_html/backup/myhubdata.dump ; save the database
** restore.sh
$ rm -rf /home/roberygp/public_html/myhub
$ cp -a /home/roberygp/public_html/backup/myhub /home/roberygp/public_html ; restore the Moodle code
$ rm -rf /home/roberygp/public_html/myhubdata
$ cp -a /home/roberygp/public_html/backup/myhubdata /home/roberygp/public_html ; restore the Moodle data
$ mysql -u root -pSECRET -e "drop database myhubdata"
$ mysql -u root -pSECRET -e "create database myhubdata default character set utf8 collate utf8_unicode_ci"
$ mysql -u root -pSECRET myhubdata < /home/roberygp/public_html/backup/myhubdata.dump ; restore the database
Cheers!
Thank you so very much for your support and help.
I have read, tried to understand and changed the sh as advised.
Regarding our comment shouldn't the path "/public_html/myhub/backup" actually be "/home/roberygp/public_html/backup"?
the Myhub is a subdomain with the main domain being pd.hub.com would that make any difference to the script?
Thank you again xxx
p.s. I have just had a cron job come back with the same message
Cron <roberygp@md-16> cd '/home/roberygp//public_html/myhub/restore.sh
/bin/sh: -c: line 0: unexpected EOF while looking for matching `''
/bin/sh: -c: line 1: syntax error: unexpected end of file
Any advise reagdrign this? Thanksx
# crontab -l
2,22,42 * * * * /usr/bin/php /path/to/moodle1/admin/cron.php > /dev/null
3,23,43 * * * * /usr/bin/php /path/to/moodle2/admin/cli/cron.php
Hi Visvanath,
The one thing I love about working with moodle is that it really stretches someone like me and having you guys to guide us in the right direction is comforting.
I will do as you suggest and see what happens.
Thanks a million. x
Qualifications for this response: not a programmer, but have scripted in linux OS.
Change this:
cd '/home/roberygp//public_html/myhub/restore.sh
to this:
cd /home/roberygp/public_html/myhub/; restore.sh
The "tick" after cd indicates what follows is a 'chunk' to be considered one piece. There is no 'closing tick'. In shell scripting, depending upon the shell being used, the ';' character is a way of putting more than one command on a single line and is a separator between commands.
In the original example of the script, the text following the ';' characters on a single line were intended to be escapes from execution and comments. Again, depending upon the shell, // begins a comment and the text for the comment has to be on one line. If, in your editor, comment text wraps to a new line, the script will fail execution at that point and one gets some interesting errors reported.
'spirit of sharing', Ken
Hi Ken,
wow, thanks for this. I did in fact edit my cron job has previously instructed and this is the message from cron job now.
$ rm -rf /home/roberygp/public_html/myhub
$ cp -a /home/roberygp/public_html/backup/myhub /home/roberygp/public_html ; restore the Moodle code
$ rm -rf /home/roberygp/public_html/myhubdata
$ cp -a /home/roberygp/public_html/backup/myhubdata /home/roberygp/public_html ; restore the Moodle data
$ mysql -u root -pSECRET -e "drop database myhubdata"
$ mysql -u root -pSECRET -e "create database myhubdata default character set utf8 collate utf8_unicode_ci"
$ mysql -u root -pSECRET myhubdata < /home/roberygp/public_html/backup/myhubdata.dump ; restore the database
Does this indicate that it is now working? Or should I change this to the information you have stated above. Please forgive my ingorance in this matter - I am learning quickly though!
Sarah x
Remove the following 'comments':
; restore the Moodle code
; restore the database
from the script. I'd also place a ';' at the end of each line.
Think the restore.sh script needs to be moved out of the myhub directory. This command:
rm -rf /home/roberygp/public_html/myhub
is removing the directory and it's contents so that means it's also erasing the restore.sh script. Probably not wise to leave such a script in 'public_html' as that is accessible via the web. Think you might be able to execute such a script from /home/roberygp/. Move the restore.sh script there.
And change the command given in cron job to:
/home/roberygp/restore.sh
This assumes that restore.sh has execute attributes - ie, is executable. Creating a file with .sh extension doesn't automatically make it executable. Example of attributes where a 'upnew' script is executable:
-rwx------ 1 user group 220 May 1 2009 upnew
The 'rwx' means readable by user, writable by user, executable by user.
If your shell is set to 'bash' then one could add a shebang atop the script:
#!/bin/bash
--- script here ---
When calling the script one has to use the full path to the script.
Script restore.sh located in /home/roberygp/ would have to be called with:
/home/roberygp/restore.sh
Some references for study of the 'cp' command as well as the 'rm':
WARNING: be very carefull with the 'rm -fr' command. Stongly advise one has a complete backup and know how to restore before scripting.
'spirit of sharing', Ken
Follow up to own posting ... hmmmmm ...
Have to ask ... are you simply copying and pasting without editing?
If so, that won't work for everything shared by others. Example: the word 'SECRET' is your password. Your passwords, if secure passwords, will probably have a mix of characters/symbols. So that the shell doesn't get confused and thinks one of those characters is something it's supposed to act upon, enclose the password in between 'ticks'.
Example: 'M00dlE!'
Also, the user 'root' was used in the example. More than likely, on a shared system, you will not be able to use the user 'root'. You have to use the 'user' setup with your database that has ability to interact with the DB's for your account.
Finally, think it best to check with the system administrator/service provider about running shell scripts. Could be a policy issue with provider.
'spirit of sharing', Ken
Ken, I found that now the site takes for ever to load - So I replace the cron job with your ainstructions above thinking this might help but now I get this message
/bin/sh: restore.sh: command not found
Sarah x
Ok, so with a little "playing" and a lot of reading I have etered the following cron job
/usr/local/bin/php /home/roberygp/public_html/myhub/restore.sh
with this I have received
$ rm -rf /home/roberygp/public_html/myhub
$ cp -a /home/roberygp/public_html/backup/myhub /home/roberygp/public_html ; restore the Moodle code
$ rm -rf /home/roberygp/public_html/myhubdata
$ cp -a /home/roberygp/public_html/backup/myhubdata /home/roberygp/public_html ; restore the Moodle data
$ mysql -u root -pSECRET -e "drop database myhubdata"
$ mysql -u root -pSECRET -e "create database myhubdata default character set utf8 collate utf8_unicode_ci"
$ mysql -u root -pSECRET myhubdata < /home/roberygp/public_html/backup/myhubdata.dump ; restore the database
So my question is is this working? should I not receive something saying done?
Have I got this completely wrong?
Sarah x
Oh, oh! Stopping to think (congrats!!) about what you said, "with this I have received", has made me realize... did you enter the command lines as shown here, that is, with the preceding dollar symbol? If so, apologies!
Taking into account Ken's recommendations and using the original path you had for the backups: /public_html/myhub/backup (instead of the one I thought was the correct one: /home/roberygp/public_html/backup), the content of each script should actually be as shown:
backup.sh
cp -a /home/roberygp/public_html/myhub /public_html/myhub/backup;
cp -a /home/roberygp/public_html/myhubdata /public_html/myhub/backup;
mysqldump -u root -pSECRET myhubdata > /public_html/myhub/backup/myhubdata.dump;
restore.sh
rm -rf /home/roberygp/public_html/myhub;
cp -a /public_html/myhub/backup/myhub /home/roberygp/public_html;
rm -rf /home/roberygp/public_html/myhubdata;
cp -a /public_html/myhub/backup/myhubdata /home/roberygp/public_html;
mysql -u root -pSECRET -e "drop database myhubdata";
mysql -u root -pSECRET -e "create database myhubdata default character set utf8 collate utf8_unicode_ci";
mysql -u root -pSECRET myhubdata < /public_html/myhub/backup/myhubdata.dump;
Before testing each script, please do follow Visvanath's advice ("how to debug") about testing each line manually and about the cron set up.
Guys, you have all gone beyond just helping and I am truly indebted to you. I really though this would be a project I could do, but I am beginning to realize my limitations. I wonder if anyone could recommend someone to assist me in this - willing to pay. I have tried to request this from moodle partners and still waiting for their reply. Again thank you all - but I think I need to accept defeat on this one. Sarah x
p.s. Best bit of advice was to check with our hosters - it seems they do not currently support shell scripts! Oh well back to the drawing board!
Visvanath,
Thank you very much for your reply. I will go and checkout your ideas and get back to you. I feel a little bruised as I was determined to educate myself in this and now I have hit a brick wall.
Anyway I really am so very greatful for all your help and support.
Sarah x
dont give up learning- its a continous process- push on.
