Somehow not getting crontab entry right

Jykke · 02-29-2008, 09:44 AM

I am trying to make crontab to execute a shell script every
30 min between 8-17 o'clock and from Monday to Friday.
So I wrote this:

# m h dom mon dow command
30 8-17 * * 0-4 /home/user/script.sh

I am wondering what I am doing wrong...

rayfordj · 02-29-2008, 10:12 AM

i think this should do it...

Code:

*/30 8-17 * * 1-5 /home/user/script.sh

you may review man 5 crontab for other acceptable variations.

may want to check the user's or root's mail to see if cron is reporting any errors.

edit: in your example 30 8-17 * * 0-4 /home/user/script.sh
it runs every day of the month (*) for every month (*) as long as it is Sunday-Thursday (0-4) between the hours of 8am-5pm (8-17) and the minutes is 30 (30)

so Monday at 8:30, 9:30, 10:30, ...

Jykke · 02-29-2008, 10:17 AM

Hmm */30 means every thirty minutes, the way I had it should have been
correct for every xx:30 hours 12:30 13:30 or so. Maybe it was the day
formulation 0-4? Today is Friday - so it might have fallen off?

Thanks anyway I'll try that...

rayfordj · 02-29-2008, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jykke

Hmm */30 means every thirty minutes, the way I had it should have been
correct for every xx:30 hours 12:30 13:30 or so. Maybe it was the day
formulation 0-4? Today is Friday - so it might have fallen off?

Thanks anyway I'll try that...

correct, today being friday (5) the script would not run from cron.

maybe i misread what you meant by "I am trying to make crontab to execute a shell script every
30 min between 8-17". If you only want it to run at the xx:30 then your way is accurate. otherwise if you want it to run every 30 minutes xx:00 and xx:30, then either 0,30 or */30 should do it.

Jykke · 02-29-2008, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rayfordj

correct, today being friday (5) the script would not run from cron.

maybe i misread what you meant by "I am trying to make crontab to execute a shell script every
30 min between 8-17". If you only want it to run at the xx:30 then your way is accurate. otherwise if you want it to run every 30 minutes xx:00 and xx:30, then either 0,30 or */30 should do it.

Ah, yes, of course you're right. Anyway changed the day entry and it was running ok, thanks a lot!