So what do you do when you need to run a job as a non-root user? Do you just modify /etc/crontab?
-- Puryear Information Technology, LLC Baton Rouge, LA * 225-706-8414 http://www.puryear-it.com Author, "Best Practices for Managing Linux and UNIX Servers" http://www.puryear-it.com/pubs/linux-unix-best-practices Identity Management, LDAP, and Linux Integration Adam Melancon wrote: > Never really use the users crontab. > Put custom timed stuff in /etc/cron.d/ (stuff that runs every 5min like MRTG) > If it's something that runs daily, it always goes in /etc/cron.daily/ > If it's something that runs hourly, it always goes in /etc/cron.hourly/ > > This is what I usually follow. > > > On Jan 8, 2008 8:54 PM, Dustin Puryear <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> So, we have an internal debate at Puryear IT about how to best setup >> cronjobs. First, let's assume Linux here. Every UNIX flavor has some >> unique trick it likes to use, but Linux is a good example of several >> ways to do cronjobs. >> >> So, with most Linux installs, you have these options: >> >> 1. normal use of crontabs >> 2. creating a crontab-like entry in a file in /etc/cron.d/ >> 3. creating symlinks to your scripts in /etc/cron.hourly/, >> /etc/cron.daily/, etc. (I'll just say /etc/cron.daily to be short.) >> 4. /etc/crontab for the root user being able to run cron jobs as any >> user, unlike /etc/cron.d/ and /etc/cron.daily/. >> >> The question here isn't one of technical correctness (they are all >> correct), but one of consistency both internally and, potentially, with >> other people messing with cronjobs on the same box. >> >> The debate started when I logged into a server and didn't see our jobs >> in root's crontab or as symlink under /etc/cron.daily/. They were in >> /etc/cron.d/. Fine. Except I never do that. I usually use a user's >> crontab or /etc/cron.daily/. So, immediately, we have a internal >> consistency issue, which could, conceivably, cause me to create a >> duplicate cronjob. (Let's ignore documentation and change management.) >> >> The problem I have with /etc/cron.d/ is that most people DON'T USE IT. >> Sure, system scripts that come with the distro often do, but, really, >> how many sysadmins create their cronjobs there? Not many in my >> experience. Yet, there is a certain cleanness to /etc/cron.d/. :) >> >> /etc/crontab has the unique benefit of letting centralize your cronjobs, >> but then you have a single file that everyone has to muck with. Yuck. >> Oh, and trouble.. >> >> So, what are your thoughts? How do you handle this? >> >> -- >> Puryear Information Technology, LLC >> Baton Rouge, LA * 225-706-8414 >> http://www.puryear-it.com >> >> Author, "Best Practices for Managing Linux and UNIX Servers" >> http://www.puryear-it.com/pubs/linux-unix-best-practices >> >> Identity Management, LDAP, and Linux Integration >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> General mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://mail.brlug.net/mailman/listinfo/general_brlug.net >> > > > _______________________________________________ General mailing list [email protected] http://mail.brlug.net/mailman/listinfo/general_brlug.net
