Arch Linux

marxav

Member

From: Gatineau, PQ, Canada

Registered: 2006-09-24

Posts: 386

crontab -e, Save problem (updated)[Solved]

I am experiencing a weird problem when I want to edit my crontab.  I use vi to edit it.  Say I have this entry :

30 23 * * *     /home/marst/bin/rsync_to_iguane

Which I want to change to :

30 23 * * *     /home/marst/bin/rsync_gecko

After I'm  done, I do :wq and I get the message : unable to create /var/spool/cron/marst.new: File exists

What's wrong :?:  I never had this before.

patroclo7

Member

From: Bassano del Grappa, ITALY

Registered: 2006-01-11

Posts: 915

Re: crontab -e, Save problem (updated)[Solved]

I would suspect that, in a previous occasion, the editing of your crontab was suddenly interrupted. Can you try to simply remove /var/spool/cron/marst.new ?

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Mortuus in anima, curam gero cutis

T-Dawg

Forum Fellow

From: Charlotte, NC

Registered: 2005-01-29

Posts: 2,736

Re: crontab -e, Save problem (updated)[Solved]

you're supposed to use crontab -e to edit the crontab. It should bring it up in vim.

marxav

Member

From: Gatineau, PQ, Canada

Registered: 2006-09-24

Posts: 386

Re: crontab -e, Save problem (updated)[Solved]

Yes, I said vi, but I meant crontab -e.

For some reason, it is now working.  Yesterday, every time I deleted marst.new, it would come back.  Earlier today, it worked... Go figure.