Hello,
I use Slackware 9.1 and for some strange reason I not getting crontab to do anything. Maybe I'm using it wrong.

SHELL=/bin/csh

# getsao
#02 * * * * $GEMDATA/obs/surface/
02 * * * * /home/gempak/gempak/data/obs/surface/getsao
# getruc
#47 * * * * /usr/bin/run-parts /etc/cron.hourly 1> /dev/null



This is the data in a file named cron. If I use 'crontab cron' wouldn't that be all there is to make cron run the script 'getsao'? I want cron to run the getsao script at :02 passed they hour each hour of everyday.

is "/home/gempak/gempak/data/obs/surface/getsao" readable and executable ?
(chmod u+rx /home/gempak/gempak/data/obs/surface/getsao)

Well the getsao script is permissioned. As the user I typed 'chmod +x getsao'. The script runs good when I run it manually. Now the file named 'cron' is a viewable file but not executable.

use "crontab -e"
this will start up your editor and load the active contab for you
insert desired lines and write+quit

Well I even tried Kcron and it doesn't even work.

is the cron daemon active ?

Hello,
Well using the command 'ps aux' I get this output. (More information after the output.)

USER PID %CPU %MEM VSZ RSS TTY STAT START TIME COMMAND
root 1 14.0 0.1 484 236 ? S 07:06 0:04 init
root 2 0.0 0.0 0 0 ? SW 07:06 0:00 [keventd]
root 3 0.0 0.0 0 0 ? SWN 07:06 0:00 [ksoftirqd_CPU0]
root 4 0.0 0.0 0 0 ? SW 07:06 0:00 [kswapd]
root 5 0.0 0.0 0 0 ? SW 07:06 0:00 [bdflush]
root 6 0.0 0.0 0 0 ? SW 07:06 0:00 [kupdated]
root 10 0.0 0.0 0 0 ? SW< 07:06 0:00 [mdrecoveryd]
root 56 0.0 0.0 0 0 ? SW 07:06 0:00 [eth0]
root 66 0.0 0.4 1400 532 ? S 07:06 0:00 /sbin/dhcpcd -t 1
bin 76 0.0 0.4 1520 564 ? S 07:06 0:00 /sbin/rpc.portmap
root 82 0.0 0.5 1444 620 ? S 07:06 0:00 /usr/sbin/syslogd
root 85 0.0 0.3 1376 460 ? S 07:06 0:00 /usr/sbin/klogd -
root 87 0.0 0.4 1412 540 ? S 07:06 0:00 /usr/sbin/inetd
root 90 0.5 1.1 3080 1416 ? S 07:06 0:00 /usr/sbin/sshd
lp 99 0.0 1.0 3372 1228 ? S 07:06 0:00 lpd Waiting
root 104 0.0 0.4 1496 556 ? S 07:06 0:00 /usr/sbin/crond -
daemon 106 0.0 0.5 1504 644 ? S 07:06 0:00 /usr/sbin/atd -b
root 109 0.0 1.7 4748 2020 ? S 07:06 0:00 sendmail: accepti
smmsp 112 0.0 1.6 4732 1952 ? S 07:06 0:00 sendmail: Queue r
smmsp 114 0.0 1.8 4804 2216 ? S 07:06 0:00 sendmail: ./i460C
root 116 0.0 0.3 1420 472 ? S 07:06 0:00 gpm -m /dev/mouse
root 118 0.1 1.1 2312 1316 tty1 S 07:06 0:00 -bash
root 119 0.0 0.4 1368 480 tty2 S 07:06 0:00 /sbin/agetty 3840
root 120 0.0 0.4 1368 480 tty3 S 07:06 0:00 /sbin/agetty 3840
root 121 0.0 0.4 1368 480 tty4 S 07:06 0:00 /sbin/agetty 3840
root 122 0.0 0.4 1368 480 tty5 S 07:06 0:00 /sbin/agetty 3840
root 123 0.0 0.4 1368 480 tty6 S 07:06 0:00 /sbin/agetty 3840
root 136 0.0 0.6 2704 756 tty1 R 07:07 0:00 ps aux


Is there something wrong with that? Where should I look to see if the right command was made? A file is created in the '/var/spool/crontabs/' directory with the commands that are to be run.

are you trying to run cron jobs as root ?

if not: check if you are allowed to run cron commands

read "man crontab" and if nneded check /var/spool/cron/allow

well check out /etc/
there is cron.daily, cron.hourly. cron.weekly and cron.monthly
Just copy your script to of the following directory and it will run according to the directory name.