Cronjob in Docker Container Fails to Load API Key from .env File

The issue is that environment variables loaded into your Docker container (or set via docker-compose) are not automatically available in the cron environment. When you run your script manually, it inherits the environment from your shell, but cron jobs start with a minimal environment.

Possible Solutions

1. Add Environment Variables Directly into Crontab

You can specify the required environment variable(s) at the top of your crontab file. For example, if your key is named OPENAI_KEY:

CRONCopied
OPENAI_KEY=your_key_here
@daily /usr/local/bin/php /var/www/html/Tests/example.php >> /var/www/html/Tests/cron.log 2>&1

This way, every time the cron job runs, the variable is already set.

2. Use a Wrapper Script That Sources the .env File

Create a shell script (e.g., run_example.sh) that sources your .env file and then executes your PHP script. Ensure that the .env file is in a format that the shell can understand. (It might need lines like export OPENAI_KEY=your_key_here.)

run_example.sh

BASHCopied
#!/bin/bash
# Change to the directory where the .env file is located if needed
cd /var/www/html/Tests

# Source the .env file (adjust the relative path accordingly)
source ../openAIKey.env

# Run the PHP script
/usr/local/bin/php example.php >> errPress.txt 2>&1

Make the script executable:

BASHCopied
chmod +x /var/www/html/Tests/run_example.sh

Then update your crontab:

CRONCopied
@daily /var/www/html/Tests/run_example.sh

3. Change the Container EntryPoint Script

If you are using a Docker container to run cron, you might consider modifying your container’s entrypoint so that cron is started with the Docker container’s environment. This often means writing an entrypoint that starts both your application and cron so that cron inherits the correct environment variables.

Things to Check

• Working Directory: Cron jobs may start with a different working directory. Either use absolute paths or change the directory in your scripts.
• Format of .env File: Make sure your .env file is in a shell-compatible format. If it only contains OPENAI_KEY=... without an export statement, you can either modify it or source it properly in the wrapper script.
• Log Files: Redirecting stdout and stderr can help diagnose issues. In the examples above, logs are saved to cron.log or errPress.txt.

Using one of these methods should solve the issue of the missing API key in your cron job execution.