Access shell with SSH on cPanel server from Linux

Discover an effective way to set PostgreSQL schemas using PHP PDO when the SET search_path approach fails. Learn best practices for schema-based architecture.

Some of the important server related problems will be solved only using shell access to the server. To access the cPanel server shell using SSH, there must be an SSH client installed on PC. Most of the Linux distros include SSH client software by default. If it is not installed, then it can be easily installed with following commands,

For Ubuntu: apt-get install openssh-client
For CentOS: yum install openssh-clients

After installation, follow these steps to access the cPanel shell with SSH from Linux:

  1. Login to cPanel and go to Security > SSH/Shell Access to generate SSH key pair.
  2. Click Manage SSH Keys > Generate a New Key. You should use a password to protect the key. You will be asked the password each time you use the key.
  3. In Public Keys section click ‘Manage Authorization’ and ‘Authorize’
  4. In Private Keys section click, Vew/Download then download the key (id_dsa or id_rsa) to your PC.
  5. Save it to ~/.ssh directory on your Linux machine under a meaningful name to not overwrite your existing keys for example id_dsa.myjavahost
  6. Now make sure permissions are correct on the key (one-time task) and connect:
    mypc:~$ chmod 600 .ssh/id_dsa
    mypc:~$ ssh -p1033 -i .ssh/id_dsa yourusername@yourservername
    Enter passphrase for key '.ssh/id_dsa':
  1. Provide the password for the key, set up in step #2

You should be logged in by now.

Fix: Ubuntu Package Manager Exclusive Lock Error

Learn how to resolve the ‘exclusive lock’ error when using a package manager like apt on Ubuntu. Step-by-step fixes for Ubuntu and Debian-based distros.

After start, Synaptic Package Manager in Ubuntu sometimes gives error

Unable to get exclusive lock. This usually means that another package management application(like apt-get or aptitude) is already running. Please close that application first.

In this post, we will learn about the causes and solutions for this error.

There are multiple causes for this error. As the message says, it means that Ubuntu package manager is already running.

After Boot

Cause

By default, Ubuntu runs a check after reboot automatically — not immediately, but some time within. So, during this time if you try to run the update command, you will get this error.

Solution

For Ubuntu automatic system checks, you have to wait for it to complete and then run your update command.

You can check, if any system check is running or not using the following command,

ps aux | grep dpkg | grep -v grep

If it shows any text then it means system is still updating, just wait for it to completed.

Software Updater is Running

Cause

Sometimes after boot, system software updater popup comes with many system updates. You can cancel this update and it will close. But, if you accept the updates, it will start updating the system.

If this updater is running and you try to run the update command, you will get same error as above.

Solution

Generally, it is not advised to pause the updater. Once an update has started, allow it to run its course. So, wait for some time till it completes and then run your update command.

Otherwise, you can pause the updater to run update command from terminal and restart the updater later after your update command completes.

Fix: phpMyAdmin Gives 404 Error in Localhost

Troubleshooting guide to fix the 404 error when accessing phpMyAdmin on localhost. Learn common causes and step-by-step solutions for Apache and Nginx servers.

To run phpmyadmin without getting 404 error, configure apache.conf for phpmyadmin.

gksu gedit /etc/apache2/apache2.conf

Then add the following line to the end of the file.

Include /etc/phpmyadmin/apache.conf

And restart apache

/etc/init.d/apache2 restart

Please read this section in Ubuntu wiki describes the 404 error problem for phpmyadmin.

How to Schedule Cron jobs tasks in Unix/Linux

Learn to schedule tasks using cronjob in Unix. This guide explains how to manage cronjob tasks in unix with practical examples.

Cron jobs are essential tools in Unix/Linux systems for automating repetitive tasks. Whether you’re backing up files, syncing data, or running maintenance scripts, cron jobs make sure your tasks run consistently and on time without manual intervention.

In this article, we’ll walk through how to add jobs to the cron scheduler (crontab) and understand its syntax so you can schedule tasks efficiently.

What is a Cron Job in Unix?

A cron job is a scheduled command or script that runs automatically at specified intervals. The cron daemon (crond) handles these jobs in the background on Unix-like operating systems.

Viewing and Editing Crontabation files

Each user has their own crontab file. To view or edit your crontab:

crontab -e

This command opens your crontab in the default system editor (like vi or nano), allowing you to add or modify jobs.

To view your current scheduled jobs:

crontab -l

To remove all scheduled cron jobs:

crontab -r

Unix Cron jobs Syntax Breakdown

A typical cron job line looks like this:

* * * * * command to be executed
- - - - -
| | | | |
| | | | ----- Day of week (0 - 7) (Sunday=0 or 7)
| | | ------- Month (1 - 12)
| | --------- Day of month (1 - 31)
| ----------- Hour (0 - 23)
------------- Minute (0 - 59)

Each * represents a time or date field. And each field can be configured based on the following table.

FieldValue RangeDescription
Minute0–59Minute of the hour
Hour0–23Hour of the day
Day1–31Day of the month
Month1–12Month of the year
Weekday0–7 (0 or 7 = Sunday)Day of the week

Example: Run backup cron job script

If you wished to have a script named /root/backup.sh run every day at 3 am, your crontab entry would look like as follows. First, install your cronjob by running the following command:

# crontab -e

Append the following entry:

0 3 * * * /root/backup.sh

Save and close the file.

More examples

To run /path/to/command five minutes after midnight, every day, enter:

5 0 * * * /path/to/command

Run /path/to/script.sh at 2:15 pm on the first of every month, enter:

15 14 1 * * /path/to/script.sh

To run any PHP script /scripts/phpscript.php at 10 pm on weekdays, enter:

0 22 * * 1-5 /scripts/phpscript.php

Run /root/scripts/perl/perlscript.pl at 23 minutes after midnight, 2am, 4am …, everyday, enter:

23 0-23/2 * * * /root/scripts/perl/perlscript.pl

Run /path/to/unixcommand at 5 after 4 every Sunday, enter:

5 4 * * sun /path/to/unixcommand

You can schedule any command using the cron jobs. For running any script using cron job, make sure your script has executable permissions.

If your script uses environment variables or specific paths, be sure to define them inside the script or call the appropriate environment setup.

Redirecting Output

To log output or errors, you can use the following command and save the logs in file:

0 0 * * * /path/to/script.sh >> /var/log/myscript.log 2>&1
  • >> appends standard output to a log file
  • 2>&1 redirects errors (stderr) to the same log file without displaying it to the console.

System-Wide Cron Jobs

System-wide cron files can be added to:

  • Hourly, daily, weekly, monthly: /etc/cron.hourly/, /etc/cron.daily/, etc.
  • /etc/crontab
  • /etc/cron.d/

Conclusion

Cron jobs are powerful for scheduling recurring tasks in Unix/Linux environments. By mastering crontab syntax and scheduling structure, you can automate system maintenance, backups, and custom scripts with ease.

Make sure to test your scripts before scheduling them and check logs regularly to confirm successful execution.

See also

See man pages for more information cron(8), crontab(1), crontab(5), run-parts(8)

How to Execute a JAR File from the Terminal on Ubuntu?

Learn how to run JAR files directly from the terminal on ubuntu. Includes syntax examples, troubleshooting tips, and Java runtime requirements.

To execute .jar file, java command should be used as below:

java -jar {path_of_the_file}/{file_name}.jar

And to execute above command, Java package must be installed on Ubuntu PC. To check if java package is already installed, execute below command in a terminal:

java -version 

It should display current version of Java package installed.

If it displays “The program java can be found in the following packages”, It means Java hasn’t been installed yet. Execute below command in a terminal to install java package,

sudo apt-get install default-jre

This will install the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) only not Java Development Kit (JDK). If Java Development Kit (JDK) is needed, which is usually needed to compile Java applications, execute the following command in terminal:

sudo apt-get install default-jdk

That is everything to install Java. Now run first command to execute .jar file.