I've started a Call of Duty 2 server. My startup script runs fine if I start it manually.

I have a cronjob that checks to see if the server is running. If it isn't it is supposed to start it. I can't get the cronjob to start the server.

The script is:
#!/bin/sh

if ( ps awwwx | grep 'cod2_lnxded' | grep 'CoD2' ) >>/dev/null
then
echo "Call of Duty 2 server still UP!"
exit 22
fi

start=`date '+%H:%M on %d/%m/%y'`
echo "CoD 2 server started @ $start" >>/usr/local/games/CoD2.log
cd /usr/local/games/cod2
screen -A -m -d -S CoD2 ./cod2_lnxded +set dedicated 2 +exec kgbcod2.cfg +map_rotate


My cronjob is:

*/30 * * * * * /usr/local/games/cod2/zend_cod2.sh

From the cronjob I get the message:

Nov 8 19:29:00 kgbserver fcron[3089]: Job * /usr/local/games/cod2/zend_cod2.sh started for user user1 (pid 3090)
Nov 8 19:29:00 kgbserver fcron[3089]: Job * /usr/local/games/cod2/zend_cod2.sh terminated (exit status: 127) (mailing output)


Again. The script runs just fine when I start it manually. What am I doing wrong?

The cron doesn't inherit the same environment as a normal user does on login. The main culprit for things that run at command line but NOT in cron is PATH. Essentially cron doesn't know where commands like "ps", "screen", "date" or others that are not internal to the shell live.


You can resolve this by adding a PATH=path1: path2: path3 statement for the paths where these commands live (i.e. /bin, /usr/bin, /usr/local/bin) Note I put spaces in to prevent smileys - you wouldn't have spaces between the : and the next element of path.

OR just define full path for each as variables and call the variables - example:

#!/bin/sh

PS=/bin/ps
SCREEN=/usr/bin/screen
DATE=/bin/date
GREP=/bin/grep

if ( $PS awwwx | $GREP 'cod2_lnxded' | $GREP 'CoD2' ) >>/dev/null
then
echo "Call of Duty 2 server still UP!"
exit 22
fi

start=`$DATE '+%H:%M on %d/%m/%y'`
echo "CoD 2 server started @ $start" >>/usr/local/games/CoD2.log
cd /usr/local/games/cod2
$SCREEN -A -m -d -S CoD2 ./cod2_lnxded +set dedicated 2 +exec kgbcod2.cfg +map_rotate

You don't need echo, if, then, exit, fi or cd defined as they are internal to the shell.

Thanks for the suggestion, but I have the same problem as before.

I just figured out that I had one too many * in my crontab line. Now it's working.