Question

File added to /etc/cron.d folder does not execute

Asked by: nlpalmquist

I have a number of files listed in /etc/cron.d.

6 of the files run, the last one I added does not seem to run.  (I put the code in the code section.)

The permissions and owners match.  The script is is executing exists and runs from command line.

I have looked everywhere and can not find if there is some certain thing, like reboot, that has to be done to add this to the other cron jobs.  The server is difficult to reboot, since it is very busy and if the job can be activated or should run without a reboot, I would like to do that first.

I sent the error output to the file and checked the file to see if it reports anything and it says:
bash: 1,16,31,46: command not found

All the manual pages say that when cron daemon runs it checks the folder and runs what is there.

Is there a log I can look at?

Can someone give me a list of GOTCHAs I can check?

Thanks.

# Check Sync for successful connections
# Run 4 times an hour, from 9AM to 6PM Monday-Friday
1,16,31,46 9-6 * * 1-5 root /usr/local/bin/CheckSyncWorked >/dev/null 2>>/tmp/CheckSyncWorked2
                                  
1:
2:
3:

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Asked On
2009-10-07 at 09:41:50ID24793022
Tags

Suse Linux

,

cron

,

cron.d

,

does not execute

Topic

SuSE Linux

Participating Experts
1
Points
500
Comments
4

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Answers

 

by: elf_binPosted on 2009-10-27 at 06:38:37ID: 25672231

You have an error in your crontab.  Bash is "seeing" cron's minutes parameters as the start of executing.  The easiest way is to delete that file and start again (this time use crontab -e to edit it - obviously you need the EDITOR environment variable setup).

 

by: nlpalmquistPosted on 2009-10-27 at 14:23:59ID: 25677730

I am sorry but you missed something in my question.  You are right this would be true if the lines were part of the crontab file.  But this is a file stored in /etc/cron.d

They follow the same structure as crontab file.  But they are appended to the crontab file as the cron daemon checks for things to do.

Since the  /etc/cron.d folder contains multiple files that are structured similar to the one I am having trouble running, I am not sure what is wrong with this one.

I am attaching a copy of one of the other files in this folder that runs perfectly.  As you can see, it also uses the format required for crontab entries.

I do appreciate your response.  

#       Make sure socket stuff is running
#
3,8,13,18,23,28,32,37,42,48,53,59 * * * *  root /var/appl/fp/start_socket > /dev/null 2>>/appl/logs/socketcheck.log
                                              
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by: elf_binPosted on 2009-10-29 at 01:07:19ID: 25691416

I think the problem you have is the hour you've specified is 9-6, try 9-18 (as in 24 hour clock) - use man 5 crontab for the format of a crontab.

 

by: nlpalmquistPosted on 2009-10-29 at 12:40:27ID: 31638318

I showed that to a number of people and no one else caught it.  Just one of those things.  Thank you so much.

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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