Hi

I'm attempting to connect to a remote machine running openvms from ubuntu using an ssh command in cron. When i execute the command from a terminal it works withour error. Altough when I put the command into cron it fails. The command I'm running is as follows

/usr/bin/ssh -i /home/user/sshkey -l username node dir >/home/user/Desktop/file.txt

I have added the -o batchmode yes option. I have created a bash script with this command in it. Aswell as a perl script with this command in it they both run fine when called from the terminal but fail when called by cron.

I have also ran whoami and cron and piped it to a file. It's running with the correct user account.

OpenVms uses ssh2 but i have converted the format of the key. It works fine through the terminal but not in cron so I don't think the key format should matter.

Any Help would be great I need to do this and am at a loss here.

Thanks

Are you getting a particular error?

Thanks for the help.

I ran it with the -vvv option aswell and looked at the output there isn't anything different from the output when its ran in the terminal or in cron except the exit status at the bottom when its ran by cron it exits with a status -1. when ran by the terminal it exists with status 0. I attempted to google this but found very little information about ssh exit status codes.

Thanks

Normally exit code zero means the command was successful any none-zero result means failure.

Does your script require any environment variables, as cron is unlikely to have these by default.

Thanks for the reply

I have attempted to execue the dir command. I don't think that this should require any environment variables. I'm quite new with linux is there any way of setting the environment cron executes in to match the login shell.

Thanks

You include the fullpath to ssh? i.e. /usr/bin/ssh. Does adding the absolute path to dir help. Also, what about redirecting standard error to you log file (it may help with solving the problem) i.e.

Yes, actually you need to redirect the standard error in any case. It can't access the console while running in a cron script. That could be what the problem is.

Thanks for the reply

When I pipe standard error to a file nothing it returns nothing. I ran ssh in debug mode with the -vvv option and piped that to a file. I did thise once while calling the command through the terminal and once while calling it from within cron I copied both below.

Executed from terminal ran successfully

OpenSSH_4.2p1 Debian-7ubuntu3, OpenSSL 0.9.8a 11 Oct 2005
debug1: Reading configuration data /etc/ssh/ssh_config
debug1: Applying options for *
debug2: ssh_connect: needpriv 0
debug1: Connecting to 192.168.0.156 [192.168.0.156] port 22.
debug1: Connection established.
debug3: Not a RSA1 key file /home/justin/.ssh/key.
debug2: key_type_from_name: unknown key type '-----BEGIN'
debug3: key_read: missing keytype
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug2: key_type_from_name: unknown key type '-----END'
debug3: key_read: missing keytype
debug1: identity file /home/justin/.ssh/key type 2
debug1: Remote protocol version 2.0, remote software version OpenSSH_4.2p1 Debian-7ubuntu3.1
debug1: match: OpenSSH_4.2p1 Debian-7ubuntu3.1 pat OpenSSH*
debug1: Enabling compatibility mode for protocol 2.0
debug1: Local version string SSH-2.0-OpenSSH_4.2p1 Debian-7ubuntu3
debug2: fd 3 setting O_NONBLOCK
debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEXINIT sent
debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEXINIT received
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: diffie-hellman-group-exchange-sha1,diffie-hellman-group14-sha1,diffie-hellman-group1-sha1
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: ssh-rsa,ssh-dss
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: aes128-cbc,3des-cbc,blowfish-cbc,cast128-cbc,arcfour128,arcfour256,arcfour,aes192-cbc,aes256-cbc,rijndael-cbc@lysator.liu.se,aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: aes128-cbc,3des-cbc,blowfish-cbc,cast128-cbc,arcfour128,arcfour256,arcfour,aes192-cbc,aes256-cbc,rijndael-cbc@lysator.liu.se,aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,hmac-ripemd160,hmac-ripemd160@openssh.com,hmac-sha1-96,hmac-md5-96
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,hmac-ripemd160,hmac-ripemd160@openssh.com,hmac-sha1-96,hmac-md5-96
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: none,zlib@openssh.com,zlib
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: none,zlib@openssh.com,zlib
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit:
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit:
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: first_kex_follows 0
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: reserved 0
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: diffie-hellman-group-exchange-sha1,diffie-hellman-group14-sha1,diffie-hellman-group1-sha1
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: ssh-rsa,ssh-dss
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: aes128-cbc,3des-cbc,blowfish-cbc,cast128-cbc,arcfour128,arcfour256,arcfour,aes192-cbc,aes256-cbc,rijndael-cbc@lysator.liu.se,aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: aes128-cbc,3des-cbc,blowfish-cbc,cast128-cbc,arcfour128,arcfour256,arcfour,aes192-cbc,aes256-cbc,rijndael-cbc@lysator.liu.se,aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,hmac-ripemd160,hmac-ripemd160@openssh.com,hmac-sha1-96,hmac-md5-96
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,hmac-ripemd160,hmac-ripemd160@openssh.com,hmac-sha1-96,hmac-md5-96
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: none,zlib@openssh.com
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: none,zlib@openssh.com
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit:
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit:
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: first_kex_follows 0
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: reserved 0
debug2: mac_init: found hmac-md5
debug1: kex: server->client aes128-cbc hmac-md5 none
debug2: mac_init: found hmac-md5
debug1: kex: client->server aes128-cbc hmac-md5 none
debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_REQUEST(1024<1024<8192) sent
debug1: expecting SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_GROUP
debug2: dh_gen_key: priv key bits set: 132/256
debug2: bits set: 505/1024
debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_INIT sent
debug1: expecting SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_REPLY
debug3: check_host_in_hostfile: filename /home/justin/.ssh/known_hosts
debug3: check_host_in_hostfile: match line 1
debug1: Host '192.168.0.156' is known and matches the RSA host key.
debug1: Found key in /home/justin/.ssh/known_hosts:1
debug2: bits set: 514/1024
debug1: ssh_rsa_verify: signature correct
debug2: kex_derive_keys
debug2: set_newkeys: mode 1
debug1: SSH2_MSG_NEWKEYS sent
debug1: expecting SSH2_MSG_NEWKEYS
debug2: set_newkeys: mode 0
debug1: SSH2_MSG_NEWKEYS received
debug1: SSH2_MSG_SERVICE_REQUEST sent
debug2: service_accept: ssh-userauth
debug1: SSH2_MSG_SERVICE_ACCEPT received
debug2: key: /home/justin/.ssh/key (0x8091490)
debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey,password
debug3: start over, passed a different list publickey,password
debug3: preferred publickey,keyboard-interactive,password
debug3: authmethod_lookup publickey
debug3: remaining preferred: keyboard-interactive,password
debug3: authmethod_is_enabled publickey
debug1: Next authentication method: publickey
debug1: Offering public key: /home/justin/.ssh/key
debug3: send_pubkey_test
debug2: we sent a publickey packet, wait for reply
debug1: Server accepts key: pkalg ssh-dss blen 817
debug2: input_userauth_pk_ok: fp 23:54:19:51:27:e5:19:2b:ae:b4:58:69:ae:36:59:a4
debug3: sign_and_send_pubkey
debug1: read PEM private key done: type DSA
debug1: Authentication succeeded (publickey).
debug2: fd 5 setting O_NONBLOCK
debug3: fd 6 is O_NONBLOCK
debug1: channel 0: new [client-session]
debug3: ssh_session2_open: channel_new: 0
debug2: channel 0: send open
debug1: Entering interactive session.
debug2: callback start
debug2: client_session2_setup: id 0
debug1: Sending environment.
debug3: Ignored env SSH_AGENT_PID
debug3: Ignored env TERM
debug3: Ignored env DESKTOP_STARTUP_ID
debug3: Ignored env SHELL
debug3: Ignored env GTK_RC_FILES
debug3: Ignored env WINDOWID
debug3: Ignored env USER
debug3: Ignored env LS_COLORS
debug3: Ignored env GNOME_KEYRING_SOCKET
debug3: Ignored env SSH_AUTH_SOCK
debug3: Ignored env SESSION_MANAGER
debug3: Ignored env USERNAME
debug3: Ignored env DESKTOP_SESSION
debug3: Ignored env PATH
debug3: Ignored env GDM_XSERVER_LOCATION
debug3: Ignored env PWD
debug1: Sending env LANG = en_US.UTF-8
debug2: channel 0: request env confirm 0
debug3: Ignored env GDMSESSION
debug3: Ignored env HISTCONTROL
debug3: Ignored env HOME
debug3: Ignored env SHLVL
debug3: Ignored env LANGUAGE
debug3: Ignored env GNOME_DESKTOP_SESSION_ID
debug3: Ignored env LOGNAME
debug3: Ignored env DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS
debug3: Ignored env LESSOPEN
debug3: Ignored env DISPLAY
debug3: Ignored env LESSCLOSE
debug3: Ignored env COLORTERM
debug3: Ignored env XAUTHORITY
debug3: Ignored env _
debug3: Ignored env OLDPWD
debug1: Sending command: dir
debug2: channel 0: request exec confirm 0
debug2: callback done
debug2: channel 0: open confirm rwindow 0 rmax 32768
debug2: channel 0: rcvd adjust 131072
Desktop file key.pub test
Examples file.txt nistnet.2.0.12c.tar.gz test.pub
debug2: channel 0: rcvd eof
debug2: channel 0: output open -> drain
debug2: channel 0: obuf empty
debug2: channel 0: close_write
debug2: channel 0: output drain -> closed
debug1: client_input_channel_req: channel 0 rtype exit-status reply 0
debug2: channel 0: rcvd close
debug2: channel 0: close_read
debug2: channel 0: input open -> closed
debug3: channel 0: will not send data after close
debug2: channel 0: almost dead
debug2: channel 0: gc: notify user
debug2: channel 0: gc: user detached
debug2: channel 0: send close
debug2: channel 0: is dead
debug2: channel 0: garbage collecting
debug1: channel 0: free: client-session, nchannels 1
debug3: channel 0: status: The following connections are open:
#0 client-session (t4 r0 i3/0 o3/0 fd -1/-1 cfd -1)

debug3: channel 0: close_fds r -1 w -1 e 6 c -1
debug1: fd 1 clearing O_NONBLOCK
debug3: fd 2 is not O_NONBLOCK
debug1: Transferred: stdin 0, stdout 0, stderr 0 bytes in 0.4 seconds
debug1: Bytes per second: stdin 0.0, stdout 0.0, stderr 0.0
debug1: Exit status 0







Executed from Cron failed

OpenSSH_4.2p1 Debian-7ubuntu3, OpenSSL 0.9.8a 11 Oct 2005
debug1: Reading configuration data /etc/ssh/ssh_config
debug1: Applying options for *
debug2: ssh_connect: needpriv 0
debug1: Connecting to 192.168.0.156 [192.168.0.156] port 22.
debug1: Connection established.
debug3: Not a RSA1 key file /home/justin/.ssh/key.
debug2: key_type_from_name: unknown key type '-----BEGIN'
debug3: key_read: missing keytype
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug3: key_read: missing whitespace
debug2: key_type_from_name: unknown key type '-----END'
debug3: key_read: missing keytype
debug1: identity file /home/justin/.ssh/key type 2
debug1: Remote protocol version 2.0, remote software version OpenSSH_4.2p1 Debian-7ubuntu3.1
debug1: match: OpenSSH_4.2p1 Debian-7ubuntu3.1 pat OpenSSH*
debug1: Enabling compatibility mode for protocol 2.0
debug1: Local version string SSH-2.0-OpenSSH_4.2p1 Debian-7ubuntu3
debug2: fd 3 setting O_NONBLOCK
debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEXINIT sent
debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEXINIT received
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: diffie-hellman-group-exchange-sha1,diffie-hellman-group14-sha1,diffie-hellman-group1-sha1
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: ssh-rsa,ssh-dss
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: aes128-cbc,3des-cbc,blowfish-cbc,cast128-cbc,arcfour128,arcfour256,arcfour,aes192-cbc,aes256-cbc,rijndael-cbc@lysator.liu.se,aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: aes128-cbc,3des-cbc,blowfish-cbc,cast128-cbc,arcfour128,arcfour256,arcfour,aes192-cbc,aes256-cbc,rijndael-cbc@lysator.liu.se,aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,hmac-ripemd160,hmac-ripemd160@openssh.com,hmac-sha1-96,hmac-md5-96
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,hmac-ripemd160,hmac-ripemd160@openssh.com,hmac-sha1-96,hmac-md5-96
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: none,zlib@openssh.com,zlib
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: none,zlib@openssh.com,zlib
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit:
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit:
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: first_kex_follows 0
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: reserved 0
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: diffie-hellman-group-exchange-sha1,diffie-hellman-group14-sha1,diffie-hellman-group1-sha1
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: ssh-rsa,ssh-dss
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: aes128-cbc,3des-cbc,blowfish-cbc,cast128-cbc,arcfour128,arcfour256,arcfour,aes192-cbc,aes256-cbc,rijndael-cbc@lysator.liu.se,aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: aes128-cbc,3des-cbc,blowfish-cbc,cast128-cbc,arcfour128,arcfour256,arcfour,aes192-cbc,aes256-cbc,rijndael-cbc@lysator.liu.se,aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,hmac-ripemd160,hmac-ripemd160@openssh.com,hmac-sha1-96,hmac-md5-96
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,hmac-ripemd160,hmac-ripemd160@openssh.com,hmac-sha1-96,hmac-md5-96
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: none,zlib@openssh.com
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: none,zlib@openssh.com
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit:
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit:
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: first_kex_follows 0
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: reserved 0
debug2: mac_init: found hmac-md5
debug1: kex: server->client aes128-cbc hmac-md5 none
debug2: mac_init: found hmac-md5
debug1: kex: client->server aes128-cbc hmac-md5 none
debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_REQUEST(1024<1024<8192) sent
debug1: expecting SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_GROUP
debug2: dh_gen_key: priv key bits set: 130/256
debug2: bits set: 517/1024
debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_INIT sent
debug1: expecting SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_REPLY
debug3: check_host_in_hostfile: filename /home/justin/.ssh/known_hosts
debug3: check_host_in_hostfile: match line 1
debug1: Host '192.168.0.156' is known and matches the RSA host key.
debug1: Found key in /home/justin/.ssh/known_hosts:1
debug2: bits set: 491/1024
debug1: ssh_rsa_verify: signature correct
debug2: kex_derive_keys
debug2: set_newkeys: mode 1
debug1: SSH2_MSG_NEWKEYS sent
debug1: expecting SSH2_MSG_NEWKEYS
debug2: set_newkeys: mode 0
debug1: SSH2_MSG_NEWKEYS received
debug1: SSH2_MSG_SERVICE_REQUEST sent
debug2: service_accept: ssh-userauth
debug1: SSH2_MSG_SERVICE_ACCEPT received
debug2: key: /home/justin/.ssh/key (0x8091490)
debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey,password
debug3: start over, passed a different list publickey,password
debug3: preferred publickey,keyboard-interactive,password
debug3: authmethod_lookup publickey
debug3: remaining preferred: keyboard-interactive,password
debug3: authmethod_is_enabled publickey
debug1: Next authentication method: publickey
debug1: Offering public key: /home/justin/.ssh/key
debug3: send_pubkey_test
debug2: we sent a publickey packet, wait for reply
debug1: Server accepts key: pkalg ssh-dss blen 817
debug2: input_userauth_pk_ok: fp 23:54:19:51:27:e5:19:2b:ae:b4:58:69:ae:36:59:a4
debug3: sign_and_send_pubkey
debug1: read PEM private key done: type DSA
debug1: Authentication succeeded (publickey).
debug2: fd 4 setting O_NONBLOCK
debug2: fd 5 setting O_NONBLOCK
debug3: fd 6 is O_NONBLOCK
debug1: channel 0: new [client-session]
debug3: ssh_session2_open: channel_new: 0
debug2: channel 0: send open
debug1: Entering interactive session.
debug2: callback start
debug2: client_session2_setup: id 0
debug1: Sending environment.
debug3: Ignored env SHELL
debug3: Ignored env PATH
debug3: Ignored env PWD
debug1: Sending env LANG = en_US.UTF-8
debug2: channel 0: request env confirm 0
debug3: Ignored env SHLVL
debug3: Ignored env HOME
debug3: Ignored env LANGUAGE
debug3: Ignored env LOGNAME
debug3: Ignored env _
debug1: Sending command: dir
debug2: channel 0: request exec confirm 0
debug2: callback done
debug2: channel 0: open confirm rwindow 0 rmax 32768
debug2: channel 0: rcvd adjust 131072
debug2: channel 0: read<=0 rfd 4 len 0
debug2: channel 0: read failed
debug2: channel 0: close_read
debug2: channel 0: input open -> drain
debug2: channel 0: ibuf empty
debug2: channel 0: send eof
debug2: channel 0: input drain -> closed
debug2: channel 0: rcvd eof
debug2: channel 0: output open -> drain
debug2: channel 0: obuf empty
debug2: channel 0: close_write
debug2: channel 0: output drain -> closed
debug1: client_input_channel_req: channel 0 rtype exit-status reply 0
debug2: channel 0: rcvd close
debug3: channel 0: will not send data after close
debug2: channel 0: almost dead
debug2: channel 0: gc: notify user
debug2: channel 0: gc: user detached
debug2: channel 0: send close
debug2: channel 0: is dead
debug2: channel 0: garbage collecting
debug1: channel 0: free: client-session, nchannels 1
debug3: channel 0: status: The following connections are open:
#0 client-session (t4 r0 i3/0 o3/0 fd -1/-1 cfd -1)

debug3: channel 0: close_fds r -1 w -1 e 6 c -1
debug1: fd 0 clearing O_NONBLOCK
debug1: fd 1 clearing O_NONBLOCK
debug3: fd 2 is not O_NONBLOCK
debug1: Transferred: stdin 0, stdout 0, stderr 0 bytes in 0.1 seconds
debug1: Bytes per second: stdin 0.0, stdout 0.0, stderr 0.0
debug1: Exit status - 1

I cannot see anything wrong with the vvv output.

I have just setup my system to mimic your cron jobs. Unfortunatley for you, it worked fine. :-(

In cron I had the following:

39 20 * * * /usr/bin/ssh -i /root/.ssh/id_rsa -l root jam.local dir >> /root/test.log

39 20 * * * /root/run.sh >> /root/test1.log

The run.sh script simply had the command from the first job. I was just checking to see if a shell script failed or not.

If you still cannot get it working try running the command through strace it may help.

I guess I finally gave up and took the easy way out. I wrote a perl script that will call itself and am going to run it as a background process.

Thanks again for your help!