Hi All,

Please, tell me how can I do this:
I have a download script, and I'd like to schedule it with cron.
I'd like to have it run from 19:00 till 05:00 in every 10 minutes.

Thanks

Zoli

You would amend you script to operate in a while ... next loop and include sleep 600 after the actual script and before the "next".
You can then install in your crontab for 19.00 everyday.

Or you could just use a lot of commas in your crontab.

You can use ranges. Lots of information on cron can be found like https://help.ubuntu.com/community/CronHowto

*/10 19-23,0-4 * * * /my/script

2 members found this post helpful.

I would add features to your script to detect if a copy is already running. If anything made it run long, or not exit, you could otherwise easily end up with MANY copies in memory running at the same time with inconvenient consequences.

I thought of that, thanks, this way they wont run into each other if 10 minutes was not enough for the downloading:


function no_multiple_instance(){

if [ "$(pgrep -x $(basename $0))" != "$$" ]; then
echo 'only one instance is allowed'
exit 1
fi
}

Thanks, if this works, I'll go with this one :-)
Sorry I don't like to rely on a while loop, and a break in it.

"flock" is also another way of ensuring that only one instance is running at a time.

in the meantime I was thinking of a function that exits early the scipt if it's not in the time interval, and have the script run repeatedly with cron...

but it's still buggy:

#!/bin/bash

FROM_HOUR=19
FROM_MIN=05

TO_HOUR=4
TO_MIN=05

let NOW=`date +%-H`+`date +%-M`
#let NOW=`date +%-M%-H`
let FROM=$FROM_HOUR+$FROM_MIN
let TO=$TO_HOUR+$TO_MIN


function checkTime(){
# exit early function if not in the time interval

if [ $FROM_HOUR -gt 23 ] || [ $TO_HOUR -gt 23 ] || [ $FROM_MIN -gt 59 ] || [ $TO_MIN -gt 59 ];then
echo "Specify hours in between 0-23 and minutes in between 0-59 !"
exit 1
fi

if [ $FROM -lt $NOW ] ;then
echo "before"
exit 1

fi

if [ $TO -gt $NOW ] ; then
echo "after"
exit 1
fi
}

checkTime

But do this with cron, even if it's a bit complicated is more sympathetic to me.

thx

thx, but I don't like a while loop with a break in my script.

If a loop is written correctly there is no reason you can not rely upon it. bash does not automatically do time math and you would typically convert hours-minutes to seconds depending on your requirements.

NOW=$( date +%-H%M )

By using the %-M you will remove any leading zeros which could lead to bad results.

this date math mite be easier:

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...-month-524720/ offers clues, I think.

and some other notable hits with similar clues at
https://www.google.com/search?q=goog...rg%2Fquestions

Have fun!
Edit:
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...-a-4175511917/
seems like a better fit?

1 members found this post helpful.

That's great ! I didn't know about cron ranges, I'm testing it now, it seems rock solid for my script!