Another "my cron is not working" thread...

Hello. Linux newb and first time poster, here. I'm sure it won't be the last

So, I've got a bitnami VM on AWS and I'm trying to get cron running a PHP script every minute. I've read through a gazillion other threads on this issue, but just can't fathom it.

So here's crontab -e:

* * * * * /tmp/test.sh
* * * * * date >> /tmp/cron_test.junk

note that I've now switched to a simple shell script rather than my original php script, to try to get it working (doesn't). The second like does actually work though. So...

test.sh just has:

echo `date` Success >> logs.txt

permissions:
ls -ll /tmp

-rw-r--r-- 1 bitnami bitnami 3248 2011-09-21 21:07 cron_test.junk
-rwxrwxrwx 1 root bitnami 74 2011-09-21 18:46 logs.txt
-rwxrwxrwx 1 root bitnami 32 2011-09-21 18:43 test.sh

As I said, the cron is def running cos cron_test.junk is getting updated.

I must be doing something ridiculous, what on earth is it?

Thank you!!

Theade

Try adding "/bin/bash" in your crontab:

* * * * * /bin/bash /tmp/test.sh

Or replace it with your shell if you use another one.

Are you missing a hash-bang?

Try changing test.sh to:

#!/bin/sh

echo `date` Success >> logs.txt

Cheers for suggestion both, but nnnnope, no joy.

I also don't have a cron log file in /var/log/cron which a lot of other threads have said to check...

Mmmmm...

Did you check your mail? When one of my cronjobs fails, I automatically get sent one.

Just type mail in a terminal and if there are new mails, type the number and press the Return key.

From man 5 crontab on my Debian box:

Ranges of numbers are allowed. Ranges are two numbers separated with a hyphen. The specified range is inclusive.

Try:

0-59 * * * * /tmp/test.sh

Edit: Ignore below, misread your post #4

From man 1 crontab:

Each user can have their own crontab, and though these are files in /var/spool/cron/crontabs,

Definitely check mail using eg mailx, both as root and as the job owner.
Also, I'd be inclined to always specify full absolute paths to all cmds/files referenced eg that logs.txt file.
Easiest way is to just explicitly call a shell file in cron, then (after the shebang line eg '#!/bin/bash'', in the next line) set PATH explicitly as reqd for your prog eg copy the content of your .bash_profile.

a basic way to debug bash is to use

set -xv

after the shebang line; it shows what the parser is doing.
In cron you'll prob get the output emailed, although you can also do

* * * * * /dir/t.sh >/tmp/t.log 2>&1

PS always use 'crontbab -e' to edit your cron file. If you edit it directly cron daemon may not be notified of the change.

I had problems with PHP script from a cron.

This shall work:
- Install lynx, text based web browser and put this in cron:

* * * * * lynx -dump http://www.myhost.com/cron.php

(if local server: http://localhost/cron.php)


- The other way:
leave cron as it is, but put this first line at a beginning of a PHP:

PHP Code:

<?php
#!/usr/local/bin/php -q
     echo "Your script";
?>

Also, it depends if your web server is setup as CGI ?
If CGI, second option will work out.

If you prefer to call a bash script from cron, you may use the same approach:

#!/bin/sh
lynx -dump http://myhost/cron.php
# (if CGI): php /full/path/cron.php

(also, in the case that you will run several separated php scripts)

I want to download cron pdf for learning can anyone provide me the link to download it.

Originally Posted by zaid1kd I want to download cron pdf for learning can anyone provide me the link to download it.

Hello,

Please do not thread jack other people's threads. If you have a serious question, search these forums first, and if you can not find the answer you are looking for, then by all means create a new thread. Now as far as your "question," try search online, specifically on google, for "cron guide" and you will find quite a few results.

Cheers,

Josh

Originally Posted by theade permissions: ls -ll /tmp -rw-r--r-- 1 bitnami bitnami 3248 2011-09-21 21:07 cron_test.junk -rwxrwxrwx 1 root bitnami 74 2011-09-21 18:46 logs.txt -rwxrwxrwx 1 root bitnami 32 2011-09-21 18:43 test.sh

You shouldn't be setting your permissions like that, you'll get pwned. You've set the script that you're running from cron to be world-writable, and put it in the tmp directory. If anybody gets access to your machine, they can change that script to whatever they want, and if they are malicious, you can wave bye-bye to your machine and your precious data. You should never set any executable to be world-writable. There is no need for it.