All- On all of my production *NIX boxen, I prefer to use the users crontab over a central file. As someone has already said, /etc/crontab can get large and if enough parameters are provided, pretty long. I find that using user-based crontabs gives me the ability to do some neat things with crontab -u <user> -l, etc...
JP _____ From: Adam Melancon [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [email protected] Sent: Tue, 08 Jan 2008 21:53:42 -0600 Subject: Re: [brlug-general] crontabs vs /etc/cron.[daily, hourly, *] vs. /etc/cron.d/ Here are some things NOT to put in root's crontab. http://seclists.org/bugtraq/1996/May/0046.html On Jan 8, 2008 9:45 PM, Adam Melancon <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > "At this point, i don't really have any linux boxes that are "user" > boxes. Most of them are web/email servers or something similar." > Ditto... all of my boxes are production linux servers, and I'm the > admin, so I know where everything is. > > > On Jan 8, 2008 9:43 PM, Brad Bendily <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Personally, i prefer /etc/crontab. > > I'd rather have all user/root created cron jobs in one location. > > That way, when I want to look for it, i know where it should be. > > On occasion i'll create a script and put it in one of the > > daily/hourly/monthly dirs, > > but that's only when the situation is called for. > > You probably shouldn't have more than a handful of admins any way, and they > > should all be competent enough to add a crontab entry without you > > needing to worry > > about someone mucking things up. I guess, if you have an independent > > user, she can use > > the user crontab, but how many of those do you have? At this point, i > > don't really have any > > linux boxes that are "user" boxes. Most of them are web/email servers > > or something similar. > > bb > > > > > > On Jan 8, 2008 9:29 PM, Dustin Puryear <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > 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 > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > Have Mercy & Say Yeah > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > General mailing list > > [email protected] > > http://mail.brlug.net/mailman/listinfo/general_brlug.net > > > > > > -- > Adam Melancon > -- Adam Melancon _______________________________________________ General mailing list [email protected] http://mail.brlug.net/mailman/listinfo/general_brlug.net
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