crontab doesn't let me to edit

wedgeworth · 09-15-2003, 03:58 PM

i go to edit my crontab as root

crontab -e

stick in a new line and then try to exit with

:wq

like i usually would. but it always exits with some messgae about crontab was not edited. i go back into edit mode and it's true, my addition was not kept. can anyone help me. i go in as root and i haven't run across anything that would tell me why it wouldn't work.

Half_Elf · 09-15-2003, 04:09 PM

can you tell us the error msg maybe?

wedgeworth · 09-15-2003, 04:13 PM

crontab: no changes made to crontab

that's all it says

Half_Elf · 09-15-2003, 10:23 PM

type :w instead of :wq and tell me if you get an error (and the error msg if any)

wedgeworth · 09-16-2003, 07:57 AM

type just :w i get this in return.

"crontab.18950" 3L, 137C written

of cource i'm still in edit mode, so i type :q or :wq to get out and i still get the

"crontab: no changes made to crontab"

error. if i go back in to check to see, my addition is gone.

wedgeworth · 09-16-2003, 10:19 AM

problem is still here. the :w acts like it writes. but when i exit :q the edit doesn't take. Help would be appreicated

vanquisher · 09-16-2003, 11:17 AM

This may sound stupid, but did you try using any other editor?
$EDITOR=emacs/any editor crontab -e

wedgeworth · 09-16-2003, 12:15 PM

no i never used any other editor. just the "crontab -e" command itself. i could try it though. never used emacs so it might be a little difficult

wedgeworth · 09-16-2003, 12:37 PM

i'm not sure the other editor choice will work. "vi crontab -e" just gives a bunch or ascii char or something. crontab -e lets you move around like your in vi, but like i said it won't store the changes. the permissions on the /usr/bin/crontab (which i think is the location, since you can type "crontab -e anywhere") are same on the server that doesn't work as the server that does let me edit upon ll:

-rwsr-xr-x (permissions on the server that does and does not let me edit)

so we are still not knowing why i doesn't work

wedgeworth · 09-17-2003, 12:14 PM

vanquisher- turns out i think you were right. i think it's an editor problem not crontab itself or some kinda of priviledges problem. now i'll i need to do is reassign the editor to emacs. not real sure how to. i think it's something like this. if someone knows the exact syntax i'd appreicate. i've been looking a little bit but i haven't quite figured out the exact way to resign the editor yet.

> $EDITOR=/usr/bin/emacs crontab -e

or

> $EDITOR=/usr/bin/emacs

this did NOT work

> setenv EDITOR /usr/bin/pico

wedgeworth · 09-17-2003, 12:15 PM

vanquisher- turns out i think you were right. i think it's an editor problem not crontab itself or some kinda of priviledges problem. now i'll i need to do is reassign the editor to emacs. not real sure how to. i think it's something like this. if someone knows the exact syntax i'd appreicate. i've been looking a little bit but i haven't quite figured out the exact way to resign the editor yet.

maybe

> $EDITOR=/usr/bin/emacs crontab -e

or

> $EDITOR=/usr/bin/emacs

this did NOT work. didn't recognize the setenv command

> setenv EDITOR /usr/bin/pico

Geremia · 12-13-2018, 04:41 PM

This seems to be your issue, from ":h crontab":

Code:

							*crontab*
	One situation where [backupcopy's] "no" and "auto" will cause problems: A program
	that opens a file, invokes Vim to edit that file, and then tests if
	the open file was changed (through the file descriptor) will check the
	backup file instead of the newly created file.  "crontab -e" is an
	example.

TB0ne · 12-14-2018, 06:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geremia

This seems to be your issue, from ":h crontab":

Code:

							*crontab*
	One situation where [backupcopy's] "no" and "auto" will cause problems: A program
	that opens a file, invokes Vim to edit that file, and then tests if
	the open file was changed (through the file descriptor) will check the
	backup file instead of the newly created file.  "crontab -e" is an
	example.

Probably; but after this thread being closed for FIFTEEN YEARS, I think the OP has figured it out by now.