Issue / Problem: I can not use PHP to run Python scripts that DO work from command line.
Setup: Raspberry Pi 5 (8gb) running updated Bookworm or Trixie, and all the latest Apache, PHP, MariaSB, Python3, Pi-Plates libraries
Additional Hardware: Pi-Plates THERMOplate, RELAYplate2
Objective: I am porting an industrial heating system control I wrote several years for a Pi 3b to the newest stuff.
BACKGROUND
We have been using a Pi 3b and the Raspbian OS from several years ago to serve a simple web page on our LAN that would control some industrial heating units as a programmable thermostat but it's time to update it to the latest Pi and OS.
We were using a relay module from Pi-Plates and their I/O board. Now we are using their THERMOplate and RELAYplate2, but I don't think these hardware components are the issue because I can't even run simple test Python scripts from PHP calls.
Again, all the scripts I am trying to run from PHP work from command line.
Yes, I have done all the obvious with respect to permissions and ownership, particularly ensuring scripts are in the www-data group and / or that www-data owns the files.
I have tried fresh installs of both Bookworm and Trixie.
Here's some of the code I have tried:
PHPNOTE: I have tried the command both with and without "sudo". I have tried both shell_exec() and exec(). And I have tried bypassing escapeshellcmd().
Python test.py
After many hours of trying, I am left wondering if something has changed in Apache, PHP or something else that does not allow PHP to call Python scripts.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Setup: Raspberry Pi 5 (8gb) running updated Bookworm or Trixie, and all the latest Apache, PHP, MariaSB, Python3, Pi-Plates libraries
Additional Hardware: Pi-Plates THERMOplate, RELAYplate2
Objective: I am porting an industrial heating system control I wrote several years for a Pi 3b to the newest stuff.
BACKGROUND
We have been using a Pi 3b and the Raspbian OS from several years ago to serve a simple web page on our LAN that would control some industrial heating units as a programmable thermostat but it's time to update it to the latest Pi and OS.
We were using a relay module from Pi-Plates and their I/O board. Now we are using their THERMOplate and RELAYplate2, but I don't think these hardware components are the issue because I can't even run simple test Python scripts from PHP calls.
Again, all the scripts I am trying to run from PHP work from command line.
Yes, I have done all the obvious with respect to permissions and ownership, particularly ensuring scripts are in the www-data group and / or that www-data owns the files.
I have tried fresh installs of both Bookworm and Trixie.
Here's some of the code I have tried:
PHP
Code:
<?php$command = escapeshellcmd('sudo /home/pi/python_venv/venv/bin/python /var/www/html/cgi-bin/test.py');echo $command;$output = shell_exec($command);echo "<br>Relays state: ";echo $output;echo"<br>";?>Python test.py
Code:
import sysif len(sys.argv) > 1: data_from_php = sys.argv[1] result_string = f"Python processed this data: {data_from_php}"else: result_string = "Hello from Python!"print(result_string)Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Statistics: Posted by CZPi — Sun Mar 01, 2026 11:34 pm