Stop a php infinite loop-currently running

Question

I have a seemingly simple problem.

I was looking for an error in a php function that wouldn't return the result. So, quite stupidly, I put mail() functions in different areas of the function to see where it hangs up.

I narrowed it down to a while loop, and (quite stupidly again) decided to put the mail() function directly in the loop. Sure enough...that was the problem. The loop is infinite. I am now getting thousands upon thousands of emails and I can't get it to stop.

I am running a wordpress site hosted on a Mac. It is running the apache web server that comes with Mountain Lion Server.app.

I tried stoping the web service...emails kept pouring in. I logged out of the user...still more emails. It only stopped when I turned off the server, only to start again when I restart.

I have tried this but there are no php processes running: Stopping an infinite loop on a remote server PHP

Where do I go from here?

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Oct 14 '13 at 03:40

1

Kill the mail server queue. You will keep getting emails until all of them have been sent.

answered Oct 14 '13 at 03:40

Ignacio Vazquez-Abrams

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Thank you. Is this the postpix mail server que (for my mail server) or is there a php mail server que that I would need to empty? – theflionking Oct 14 '13 at 03:44
It would be the mail server that PHP has been configured to use. If it's using the default, then you'd have to deal with whatever the `sendmail` executable shoves its mail at. – Ignacio Vazquez-Abrams Oct 14 '13 at 03:44
It is default. I typed: sendmail -bp. My queue is empty but the emails are still coming in. – theflionking Oct 14 '13 at 03:52
Then your local mail server has sent them out, and you need to stop them at the destination mail server. – Ignacio Vazquez-Abrams Oct 14 '13 at 03:58
Yes. That was the case. they just hadn't reached my inbox. I suppose it is finished now. I stopped getting the emails. Thanks. – theflionking Oct 14 '13 at 04:16

Stop a php infinite loop-currently running

1 Answers1