Support

Oh, dear... The level of their replies is so bad I can't describe it in words. For example, the following statement is just plain nonsense:

Joomla has a tendency to set Joomla to use PHP5

Let me use the same phrase in the more familiar automotive domain to demonstrate my point:

Ford cars have a tendency to set Ford cars to use unleaded gasoline

When I read that line I spontaneously facepalmed.

The rest of their replies range from useless to mislead, e.g confusing the version used by the web browser to the one used in CRON scripts. If I were to guess from their replies, the following command line might work:

/usr/bin/php53 /home/sites/bbs-testsite.co.uk/public_html/cli/akeeba-backup.php --profile=3

If it's impossible to pass command-line arguments to the script, ask them for the location of the PHP 5.3 CLI binary. You are currently using the FastCGI binary as explained in the preamble of the script's output:

You are using PHP 5.2.17 (cgi-fcgi)

That's basically half of your issue all along. The other important half is that you were using PHP 5.2.17, but Akeeba Backup 3.7 requires PHP 5.3 or later. I would guess that using the PHP 5.3 binary, even if it's the FastCGI and not the CLI one, might work, albeit without uploading to S3 due to the timeout limit inherent in CGI and FastCGI modes of PHP. That's why we ask you to use the CLI binary of PHP.

Please note that you must never modify Akeeba Backup's code, including the CLI scripts. That piece of advice is absolutely misleading and will not solve any problem. On the contrary!

FYI: Using a shell script (that's what the .sh file is called) wouldn't have any effect. It's the same thing as passing command line parameters to the script directly. The CRON daemon of course supports passing command line parameters. In fact, you are calling the PHP binary and giving the script name as a command line parameter. The very fact that you do get some sort of PHP output should have hinted the original support person that the "solution" he provided was misguided, to say the least. Not to mention that their proposed command line:

/usr/bin/sh /home/sites/bbs-testsite.co.uk/akeeba.sh

runs the /usr/bin/sh binary with the /home/sites/bbs-testsite.co.uk/akeeba.sh script filename passed as a command line parameter! This is a self-defeating exercise.

Honestly, I think you have to ask them to escalate the issue and talk with a real engineer. The first level of support is kinda clueless.

No problem. I've seen quite a few cray replies from hosts to be upset any more :D

BTW I am thinking of upgrading to the deluxe package and note that, because I already hold a subscription, this may involve a discount can you confirm this and estimate approx. how much?

Yes, there is a discount which is calculated automatically based on how long ago you've bought your existing subscription. The calculation is a bit complex to do manually (I try to give a fair discount, which is more difficult than it sounds). If you go to the purchase page you'll see exactly how much the discount is.