Question

echo shell_exec("ll");

Why doesn’t php show me a list of files and directories when I run this code?

Answer 1

ll isn’t the command. I believe that echo shell_exec("ls"); will output a list of directories.

Also you can have some problems if you are running PHP in safe mode. Here you have more information: http://php.net/manual/en/function.shell-exec.php

shell_exec: This function is disabled when PHP is running in safe mode.

Eventually, you have more secure alternatives to execute a command in a bash like readdir: http://php.net/manual/en/function.readdir.php. This is a function that read the files that are in a certain directory.

readdir($dir_handle)example:

<?php

if ($handle = opendir('/path/to/files')) {
    echo "Directory handle: $handle\n";
    echo "Entries:\n";

    while (false !== ($entry = readdir($handle))) {
        echo "$entry\n";
    }

    closedir($handle);
}
?>