Creating cron job

Corrado · 11-21-2009, 01:16 AM

I have to install many cron jobs on my machines. I have a script which will copy /var/spool/cron/root onto the machines. Once the file is placed on the machine, I then have crond restarted.

When I do "crontab -l" I do see the jobs listed but, I noticed that they are not started at anytime. I tried "crond reload" and that doesn't work.

After the file is in place, what do I have to reload? I must be missing what crontab does automatically during an edit.

Chris

acid_kewpie · 11-21-2009, 01:34 AM

You shouldn't have to restart anything, cron will pick up the new file automatically. I wouldn't personally recommend managing jobs with a root crontab, instead I use /etc/crontab as the system wide table. How are you checking these haven't loaded? what does /var/log/cron say?

Corrado · 11-21-2009, 02:15 AM

/var/log/cron has no mention of any job ever being started. To verify if cron is starting the jobs.

Quote:

*\1 * * * * touch /tmp/new

The file is never created in tmp. "cron -l" shows the jobs as being loaded.

When I being up "crontab -e" and save it. The job works.

Chris

centosboy · 11-21-2009, 02:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Corrado

/var/log/cron has no mention of any job ever being started. To verify if cron is starting the jobs.

The file is never created in tmp. "cron -l" shows the jobs as being loaded.

When I being up "crontab -e" and save it. The job works.

Chris

couple of things wrong with your example.
you want this cron to run every minute right??

then simply this is enough

Code:

* * * * *

secondly, ensure you use full path to the command if using individual user crontabs

Code:

* * * * * /usr/bin/touch /tmp/new

acid_kewpie · 11-21-2009, 02:38 AM

the format is wrong, *\1 should be */1, but is just the same as * by itself. again, using /etc/crontab would be preferable. I guess crond checks that file automatically, as opposed to the per-user crontab files.

Corrado · 11-21-2009, 02:26 PM

The every minute cron job works fine when the entry is added in "crontab -e" (sorry, about the typo)

The same job does not work when the file ../cron/root is copied to the right location.

Anyone know why this does not load? Or how to get it located?

Chris