Zip a folder with PHP

PHP
1

I’m looking for a way to zip folders with php and provide a download link to them. any ideas?
I tried PclZip, but I get errors, and I don’t really know how to solve them, cause I’ve never worked with zips before.

2

What errors do you get?

3

Can you use this:


<?php
exec("tar -c sourcefolder destinationfolder.tar.gz");
?>

this will work only if you server support exec() function or not having safe_mode enabled.

Regards

4

Here’s my error “Error : PCLZIP_ERR_READ_OPEN_FAIL (-2) : Unable to open archive ‘Transparentia.zip’ in wb mode”

Using this code:

<?php
//download library from http://www.phpconcept.net/pclzip/index.en.php#download
include('pclzip.lib.php');
//zip file name
$new_zip= new PclZip('backup.zip');
//backup theimages folder
$file_list = $new_zip->create('images/');
if ($file_list == 0)
{
die("Error : ".$new_zip->errorInfo(true));
}
echo "Successfully created zip file";
?>

which I found at a site.
I double checked, it’s loading the pclzip.lib.php file, so that’s not the problem.

talence: It needs to be zip, so that it’s user friendly.

5

Try zip if it’s available:


exec("zip -r output/files.zip path/to/dir");

Make sure you set the right permissions for the destination directory (in this case ‘output’).

6

it’s not working, so I guess my server configuration doesn’t allow it. any other suggestions?

7

[edit]sounds like php doesnt have write permissions.
is the directory youre trying to create the zip in, writiable by php?[/edit]

8

it’s the file i’m trying to create

9

ok, i changed the permissions, and now it says “Successfully created zip file”, but i don’t know where it put it… anyone use this script before?

10

you cant use ftp and look?

11

ok, i found it, in the directory the script was in, but i cant figure out how to change that, plus it zips up the whole directory structure, from the server root, which isn’t desirable.
Anyone know some simple tutorial/script/library with clear instructions in readable english?