[SOLVED] Script not working when run via cron

twallstrom · 06-07-2015, 01:50 AM

I have a baffling issue with a simple script I wrote that, when run, will send an E-mail with my current ip address.
I have configured crontab to execute the script which runs but does not end up sending the e-mail.
If I run the same script manually (./script) the e-mail gets sent.
I write to a log each time the script runs so I know that cron is executing the script.

Any tips what might cause this is greatly appreciated.

unSpawn · 06-07-2015, 02:40 AM

If you search LQ for this then usually it's down to using full paths and such. If you want to troubleshoot the cause yourself then make your cron job be a BASH script (see first line of script) then make the second line read "set -vx" (w/o the double quotes), have cron execute it, then check root (or rather the unprivileged users mail account that receives root) email for clues, elif post your script in full (and preferably between vBB code tags).

brebs · 06-07-2015, 04:45 AM

If using e.g. cronie, then put at the top of your crontab something like:

Code:

PATH=/usr/local/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin

twallstrom · 06-08-2015, 02:55 AM

It was a PATH issue. When I provided the full path to the command (ssmtp) it worked like a charm.
Still I do not understand why the it worked when I was logged in via SSH and ran the command manually (./script) but not with Cron? I assume cron is not run as my user even though it was configured with that same user.

Thanks!

pan64 · 06-08-2015, 03:25 AM

I think that was already explained, cron has its own environment and that is restricted, so it won't find those commands for you (but you need to specify them using full path).

brebs · 06-08-2015, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twallstrom

Still I do not understand why

Because SSH runs ~/.profile or ~/.bash_profile or ~/.bashrc, whatever it is. And one of those scripts sets up your PATH.