OpenWrt Forum Archive

Topic: Getting cron jobs to run

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Post #1
flowersrj
20 Sep 2007, 00:14

Hi,

I added a couple of lines containing scripts in CRONTAB that if I call them directly they run.  They seem to be ignored in the /etc/crontabs/root file.  The entries are:

/15 8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17 * * 1,2,3,4,5 /bin/sh /www/cpy2web.sh
/5   8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17 * * 1,2,3,4,5 /bin/sh /www/cpy2tmp.sh


Security is set up on both as:

-rwxr-xr-x


PS AUX shows: 

/usr/sbin/crond

This is on a WL-500gP.  Is there a log entry for CRON jobs?  Anyone have a clue how I can find out why it is not working?

Thanks,
Rich

Post #2
belrpr
20 Sep 2007, 11:50

I think that you should enable crontabs first!
/etc/init.d/S60cron start

Post #3
Borromini
20 Sep 2007, 11:53

And make sure you enabled the service:

/etc/init.d/S60cron enable
Post #4
flowersrj
20 Sep 2007, 13:28

I believe it is started already because if I do a

         /etc/init.d/S60cron start

it tells me that it is started already and I see it when I do a

         ps aux

I see the following

          /usr/bin/crond

Post #5
m4rc0
20 Sep 2007, 13:46
flowersrj wrote:

/15 8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17 * * 1,2,3,4,5 /bin/sh /www/cpy2web.sh
/5   8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17 * * 1,2,3,4,5 /bin/sh /www/cpy2tmp.sh

Is the / a valid option i the time-table? Don't you mean *5 and *15?

Post #6
flowersrj
20 Sep 2007, 14:13

Actually it is */15 and */5.  It is now working.

Thanks for the clue !!

Now I have got what's below and it is working....

*/15 8-17 * * 1-5 root /www/cpy2web.sh
*/5   8-17 * * 1-5 root /www/cpy2tmp.sh

The problem is that difference places on web describe CRON/CRONTAB line definition differently.

(Last edited by flowersrj on 20 Sep 2007, 14:14)

Post #7
m4rc0
20 Sep 2007, 14:17

Yo are right it is */5.... one hand helps the other.... (probably not a english saying)

Post #8
flowersrj
20 Sep 2007, 17:58

I have enabled logging and now I can see the CRON jobs fire off in the log but they still don't seem to be running.  Here's the CRON entry and the script's contents.  It works if I call script directly from the command line but not from CRON.

Sample log entry is ...

Sep 20 12:47::35 (none) kern.notice crond[736]: USER root pid 978 cmd root /rom/bin/sh /www/cpy2tmp.sh

cron entry ...

*/5 8-17 * * 1-5 root /rom/bin/sh /www/cpy2tmp.sh

/www/cpy2tmp.sh contents is ...

#!/bin/sh
cp /tmp/SpcaPict/jpg /tmp/SpcaWeb.jpg

Any ideas?
-Rich

Post #9
m4rc0
20 Sep 2007, 18:38

I would change the line to


*/5 8-17 * * 1-5 /www/cpy2tmp.sh

Post #10
flowersrj
20 Sep 2007, 18:46

Traced the problem to the inclusion of 'root' in the entry.  Seems its not used in OpenWRT.  Everything is working as it should. :-)

Thanks for all your help,
Rich

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