How to execute system commands on Linux using PHP

On Linux systems, PHP is a powerful scripting language that can interact with the operating system and execute system-level commands. In this article, we will explore how to execute system commands on Linux using PHP. We will provide corresponding source code examples so that you can easily understand and practice these methods.

1. Use the exec function to execute system commands

PHP's exec function allows us to execute system commands on Linux systems. Its basic syntax is as follows:

exec(command, output, return_var);

• command: The system command to be executed.
• output: A variable used to store the output of the command.
• return_var: A variable used to store the return value of the command.

The following is an example that demonstrates how to use the exec function to execute system commands and obtain the output results:

$command = 'ls -l';