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flytwokites

Member

Registered: 2008-12-04

Posts: 14

[SOLVED] cron file format for /etc/cron.d/

when I create a file in /etc/cron.d/:

05 19 * * * wjzhou echo "OK?" >/tmp/cron-is-ok

When time is due, a file 'cron-is-ok' created, but owner is 'root', not 'wjzhou',
it seems this job does not run as user 'wjzhou', then I check /var/log/crond.log:

Oct 11 19:05:01 localhost crond[10480]: FILE /etc/cron.d/test USER root PID 10487 wjzhou echo "OK?" >/tmp/cron-is-ok
Oct 11 19:05:01 localhost crond[10480]: exit status 127 from user root wjzhou echo "OK?" >/tmp/cron-is-ok
Oct 11 19:05:01 localhost crond[10489]: mailing cron output for user root wjzhou echo "OK?" >/tmp/cron-is-ok

How to run a cron job as a specific user use dir /etc/cron.d?

Last edited by flytwokites (2010-10-12 13:46:55)

karol

Archivist

Registered: 2009-05-06

Posts: 25,440

Re: [SOLVED] cron file format for /etc/cron.d/

Run

crontab -l

when logged as wjzhou.

[karol@black ~]$ crontab -l
no crontab for karol

man crontab

for details.

Last edited by karol (2010-10-11 11:39:36)

flytwokites

Member

Registered: 2008-12-04

Posts: 14

Re: [SOLVED] cron file format for /etc/cron.d/

I check the book 'Linux Administration HandBook':
http://books.google.com/books?id=GB_O89 … 22&f=false

minute hour day month weekday [username] command

The format of job in /etc/cron.d is different to per user job, it has a 'username' field, but dcron seems ignore
this field.
Is dcron actually not implemented this feature?

jdarnold

Member

From: Medford MA USA

Registered: 2009-12-15

Posts: 485

Website

Re: [SOLVED] cron file format for /etc/cron.d/

I'm not so sure about the [username] field. I don't see it documented in crontab's manpage even. It may be an archaic way of doing it, as the current way is for each user to have their own crontab.

igndenok

Member

From: Sidoarjo, Indonesia

Registered: 2010-06-07

Posts: 160

Re: [SOLVED] cron file format for /etc/cron.d/

Why not create cron job with

$ crontab -e

instead create file under /etc/cron.d

---

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Seek, and ye shall find.
Knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

flytwokites

Member

Registered: 2008-12-04

Posts: 14

Re: [SOLVED] cron file format for /etc/cron.d/

Why not create cron job with

$ crontab -e

instead create file under /etc/cron.d

Because I want to write a bash script to add a cron job for an user and do not override that user's existing jobs.

Ramses de Norre

Member

From: Leuven - Belgium

Registered: 2007-03-27

Posts: 1,289

Re: [SOLVED] cron file format for /etc/cron.d/

You could use "sudo -u [username]".

flytwokites

Member

Registered: 2008-12-04

Posts: 14

Re: [SOLVED] cron file format for /etc/cron.d/

Thinks for your answers.
It is worked with create file under /etc/cron.d and use this format:

45 21 * * * su -c "<command>" -s /bin/bash <username>