# Libreoffice running headless from php exec()



## jeppebundsgaard (Jan 18, 2012)

Hi,

I have installed libreoffice headless in order to convert documents programmatically (e.g. odt->pdf). It works from the command line! But my goal is to be able to do it from php. This demands that the web-user (www) can run libreoffice. But it cannot.

When running libreoffice as my own user, I get:


```
%libreoffice --headless -convert-to pdf Litteraturundervisningogit.doc
javaPathHelper: not found #This should not be a problem, says people on the net.
convert /usr/home/bundsgaard.net/www/jeppe/foredrag/Litteraturundervisningogit.doc ->
 /usr/home/bundsgaard.net/www/jeppe/foredrag/Litteraturundervisningogit.pdf using writer_pdf_Export
%
```

If I try the same command as root, it does not work. The same is the problem with the www-user from php:


```
sp# libreoffice --headless -convert-to pdf Litteraturundervisningogit.doc
javaPathHelper: not found
sp#
```

The problem is that I do not get any information from libreoffice, thus I don't know why libreoffice does not want to run as other users than my own.

My question is: How do I give the www-user permission to run libreoffice via exec() in php?

Best regards,
Jeppe


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