Taking auto screenshots using cronjobs

Ephracis · 02-12-2005, 11:45 AM

I want to let crond run the import-command to take automatic screenshots. But that makes me end up with the error:

Code:

import: unable to open X server `'.

I understand why I am getting this but I hoped that there is some way to have a cron that can use X.

homey · 02-12-2005, 05:31 PM

Maybe you would have better luck using xwd which then has to be converted to jpg.....

Code:

#!/bin/bash
#stop time max is 2359
stop=1835
echo "Stop at  $stop"
now=`date +%k%M`

while [ $now -lt $stop ] ; do

   let num=$num+1
   
  # /usr/bin/import -window root image$num.jpg
   
   /usr/bin/X11/xwd -display :0 -root >image$num.xwd
  /usr/bin/convert image$num.xwd image$num.jpg
   
   #set the sleep time in seconds
   sleep 20
   now=`date +%k%M`
   
done

rm -f *.xwd
#this gets rid of the xwd files

habrys · 02-24-2006, 08:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ephracis

I want to let crond run the import-command to take automatic screenshots. But that makes me end up with the error:

Code:

import: unable to open X server `'.

I understand why I am getting this but I hoped that there is some way to have a cron that can use X.

Hmmm... it actually works on my machine. I had explicitly say, which display I want to use - DISPLAY variable is not available for crond.

Like this:

import -display :0.0 -window root screenshot.jpg