How to run PHP commands as a cPanel user via Terminal

Question

How do you run PHP commands as a cPanel user via the Terminal?

Answer

When troubleshooting scripts, it is often necessary to run PHP scripts via the command line. This article provides the procedure to run a PHP script using the same PHP version that the user's site uses.

1. Log in to the cPanel user's cPanel.
2. Open the MultiPHP Manager interface in the Software section of cPanel.
3. Note the PHP version used by the site.
4. Click the Tools link from the left-side menu.
5. Open the Terminal interface in the Advanced section of cPanel.
6. Read the warning and click the I understand and want to proceed. button.

7. Change to the directory that the script is in by running the following command:

   # cd /home/$username/path/to/script/folder

   Note: "/home/$username/path/to/script/folder" must be replaced with the full path to the script's folder.

8. Execute the script using the full path to the php executable:

   ea-php

   # /opt/cpanel/ea-phpXX/root/usr/bin/php script.php

   Note: "XX" and "script.php" must be replaced with the PHP version (without the decimal point) and the script's file name, respectively.

   alt-php

   # /opt/cloudlinux/alt-phpXX/root/usr/bin/php script.php

   Note: "XX" and "script.php" must be replaced with the PHP version (without the decimal point) and the script's file name, respectively.