help writing logon script to access and update a database

K.out · 10-05-2008, 02:48 AM

I am trying to write a php script to access a database a and write user info into a table upon login. Currently I appended the script to the bottom of the profile file in /etc/profile. However, it doesn't appear to be working when I log in. Below is the script that i have.

# /etc/profile

# System wide environment and startup programs, for login setup
# Functions and aliases go in /etc/bashrc

pathmunge () {
if ! echo $PATH | /bin/egrep -q "(^|

$1($|

" ; then
if [ "$2" = "after" ] ; then
PATH=$PATH:$1
else
PATH=$1:$PATH
fi
fi
}

# ksh workaround
if [ -z "$EUID" -a -x /usr/bin/id ]; then
EUID=`id -u`
UID=`id -ru`
fi

# Path manipulation
if [ "$EUID" = "0" ]; then
pathmunge /sbin
pathmunge /usr/sbin
pathmunge /usr/local/sbin
fi

# No core files by default
ulimit -S -c 0 > /dev/null 2>&1

if [ -x /usr/bin/id ]; then
USER="`id -un`"
LOGNAME=$USER
MAIL="/var/spool/mail/$USER"
fi

HOSTNAME=`/bin/hostname`
HISTSIZE=1000

if [ -z "$INPUTRC" -a ! -f "$HOME/.inputrc" ]; then
INPUTRC=/etc/inputrc
fi
CLASSPATH=/usr/lib/jdk1.6.0_07/lib:.
PATH=$PATH:/usr/lib/jdk1.6.0_07/bin:.

export PATH USER LOGNAME MAIL HOSTNAME HISTSIZE INPUTRC CLASSPATH

for i in /etc/profile.d/*.sh ; do
if [ -r "$i" ]; then
. $i
fi
done

unset i
unset pathmunge
<?
//make connection
$connection = pg_connect("dbname=postgres
user=postgres
host=localhost");

//report status
if(!connection){
print("Connection Failed.");
exit;
}

//insert data into userstats

//insert data into userstats
pg_exec($connection, "INSERT INTO userstats VALUES
('$USER','localhost')");

?>

Can somebody help me find a way to solve this problem?

Mr. C. · 10-05-2008, 03:51 AM

First, I'll recommend you place your script in its own file for execution. Then call or source this script from within the correct shell startup script.

/etc/profile, ~/.bash_profile, and ~/.profile is used by login shells
~/.bashrc is used by interactive shells

Login shell startup scripts are for doing things once per login (to the system, not just a new terminal window)
Interactive shell startup scripts are for doing things for every shell that is invoked

The problem may be that your shell is not a login shell, and you certainly don't want your command script running on every shell launch. A login shell will have a - (dash) in front of its command name in ps output.

Place unique echo commands in each of ~/.bashrc and ~/.bash_profile to convince yourself which one(s) is read and sourced.

K.out · 10-06-2008, 02:05 AM

Thank you Mr. C. I was able to establish that the script need to be run from /etc/bashrc after using your suggestion of entering the echo commands into the different files. Now I am having trouble getting my script to execute.

Below is my script which I have saved in the /etc directory

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01//EN">
<html>
<head></head>
<body>
<?php
//make connection
$connection = pg_connect("host=localhost dbname=postgres
user=postgres");

//report status
if(!connection){
print("Connection Failed.");
exit;
}

//insert data into userstats

//insert data into userstats
pg_exec($connection, "INSERT INTO userstats VALUES
('$USER','localhost','now()')");

//close connection
pg_close($connection);

//close connection
pg_close($connection);

?>
</body>
</html>

The error that is printing is :
./loginscript: line 1: syntax error near unexpected token `newline'
./loginscript: line 1: `<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01//EN">'

Mr. C. · 10-06-2008, 02:52 AM

The "script: is an HTML document, not a shell script. Do you expect a browser window to open?

Since the content is not directly executable, instead launch the browser with the document as an argument. Eg:

firefox mydoc.html

K.out · 10-06-2008, 08:12 AM

Ok, thanks for letting me know that. My goal is simply to write a script that will update my database on login. I do not really desire to open up the web browser. Do you know how I can revise the "script" to accomplish this task? Thanks for your help.

Mr. C. · 10-06-2008, 12:26 PM

You can use any of the following to implement your script:

*) bash - using postgresql command line programs
*) PHP command line, using a php script file
*) perl or python, with their postgresql bindings

Pay attention to their return values.

Your script is very close already to being a PHP script - just remove the HTML code, and place the line :

#!/path/to/your/php

as line 1 in the file. Change the file to executable (chmod a+x /path/to/script) and then run it (/path/to/script).

K.out · 10-09-2008, 10:19 AM

Mr. C,

Thanks for the help. I managed to get communication with the database have the script add rows. It was tricky because there where two versions of php installed and I was trying to call the wrong version so it was not recognizing some functions. I am still having trouble though. Currently, I call the script from bashrc. This runs the script each time a new shell is started. However,sometimes it can't run because the script is in the root directory. What I want to due is have the script run and update the database as soon as users login to NX. I tried putting the script in .profile and that did not seem to update the database. Do you think you know how to solve my problem?

Thanks again,
K.out

Mr. C. · 10-09-2008, 11:27 AM

Create your script. If other users are going to use it upon login, install it in /usr/local/bin or /usr/local/sbin.

Then, in each of the /etc/profile variants for all the user shells your users use (how's that for a mouthful of users!), call your /usr/local/{s}bin/script.

Each shell has its set of files that are scanned for existence and sourcing on either creation of a new login shell, or a non-login interactive shell. Check INVOCATION in man bash, and similar locations for other shells you use.

K.out · 10-14-2008, 09:29 PM

I placed the script in /usr/local/bin directory and called it from the /etc/profile file. This works for communicating with the database on login; however, it writes 15 entries to the database each time there is a login. Do you know what would cause this? Also, if you do, can you help me fix this problem as well?

Thank you,
K.out

Mr. C. · 10-14-2008, 10:41 PM

Most likely what is happening is the file /etc/profile is being read by each shell started to launch some GUI app that comprises your desktop environment (I'm assuming you're using a GUI). The file /etc/profile is used for login shells, but unfortunately different distributions configure their user startup environments differently, and I don't keep track of which disto does what anymore.

Can you give details on your distribution, version, and GUI or non-GUI environment?

K.out · 10-15-2008, 09:39 AM

When I log in I see a fedora 8 desktop. However, when I type env in the command line of the terminal, I see nothing refering to fedora 8. I only see stuff referring to GNOME. This would be version 2.20.3 from the Red Hat Distributor. I am not sure if this helps or makes sense.

Mr. C. · 10-15-2008, 10:21 AM

See my post #10 here, particularly the pdf file referenced that gives you the correct locations for post-login script running in GDM.

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...ghlight=zenity

evaluatinglinux · 10-15-2008, 01:51 PM

In your .profile file append the command - "./runupdate.sh"
and the runupdate.sh should contain a sql insert script that will insert the desired values to the database.

This should do the trick.

Debian Kernel

Mr. C. · 10-15-2008, 03:32 PM

I think the OP wanted a *global* solution:

Quote:

What I want to due is have the script run and update the database as soon as users login to NX.

Also, the OP tried ~/.profile already:

Quote:

I tried putting the script in .profile and that did not seem to update the database.

evaluatinglinux · 10-17-2008, 12:45 PM

Could you try running the script (from my example earlier - execute /runupdate.sh from the command prompt). See if this does an insert into table. If it doesn't then voila ... you have identified the root cause of the issue.