apache run server side code via php

Hi,

I have a usb temperature stick called TEMPer. I am using a c program I found which returns the current air temperature. What I would like to do is call this binary code from a webpage.

I put the compiled code in /usr/bin and created the following file "index.php"

Code:

---

<?php
print("Current Temp:\n\n");
$thetemp = system('temper');
echo $thetemp;
?>

---

I only get "Current Temp:" on my page and an error in my /var/log/httpd/error_log:

"TemperCreate: Operation not permitted"

Where TemperCreate is a function in the original C code. I guess this is a good thing as it is stopping apache from running server side code.

So to my question. Is it possible to allow apache to run compiled C code ?

Safe mode is turned off and I have tried making apache the owner of the binary, still no joy.

Any suggestion would be great.

Thanks,

Pete.

It sounds like it is running the C program. Does the TemperCreate function require another file that Apache doesn't have permission to?

The C code includes the following.

#include <usb.h>

and i think the library function that is casing the problem is:

usb_control_msg

which has the following description:

int usb_control_msg(usb_dev_handle *dev, int requesttype, int request, int value, int index, char *bytes, int size, int timeout);

usb_control_msg performs a control request to the default control pipe on a device. The parameters mirror the types of the same name in the USB specification. Returns number of bytes written/read or < 0 on error.

Is there a way of allowing the apache user to run this function, i.e. access to usb devices ?

Thanks,

Pete.

I just placed the binary executable in the same directory as my index.php file (instead of in /usr/bin) and I edited the system call to be:

Code:

---

$thetemp = system('./temper');

---

note the addition of the "./"

and all works great now

:p

Pete.