Are there any alternatives to shell_exec and proc_open in PHP?

Question

It seems like I can\'t use shell_exec or proc_open on my shared server.

The message I get when I try to use it is:

W

Answer 1

Just a follow up for people who need to use shared hosting. While I no longer recommend HostGator due to their sub-par support (resulting from their purchase by EIG), they do allow popen.