CRON script issues

[moo]

Hi,

I'm not actually new to linux but posting in here as I'm pretty sure the fix to this will be simple plus i'm really out of practice! ;P

Searched all over forums & google and just can't seem to fix my problem with the information i've collected :/

Basically I have a script, kept in /usr/sbin/ called force-standby, goes a little something like this;

#!/bin/bash
xset dpms force standby
echo "logging!" >> /tmp/fslogs.log

I have a "monitoring screen" so all staff can view events popping up in zabbix - on this box I'm running caffeine so the monitor doesn't sleep during the day, and use this script to make the monitor sleep when we leave the office.

The script runs OK if you run it from the box, under both root and the one other user account, as you can see ive set up a basic log to tell me each time the script runs.

However cron just wont run it, I've stuck it in /etc/crontab - perhaps this is the wrong file to be editing for kubuntu i'm not sure, this is how it reads;

SHELL=/bin/sh
PATH=/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin

# m h dom mon dow user command
17 *  * * *  root  cd / && run-parts --report /etc/cron.hourly
25 6  * * *  root  test -x /usr/sbin/anacron || ( cd / && run-parts --report /etc/cron.daily )
47 6  * * 7  root  test -x /usr/sbin/anacron || ( cd / && run-parts --report /etc/cron.weekly )
52 6  1 * *  root  test -x /usr/sbin/anacron || ( cd / && run-parts --report /etc/cron.monthly )
32 10  * * *  root  /usr/sbin/force-standby
#

And this is the response I get from cron in /var/log/syslog;

Apr 19 07:53:33 monitor rsyslogd: [origin software="rsyslogd" swVersion="4.2.0" x-pid="805" x-info="[url]http://www.rsyslog.com"][/url] rsyslogd was HUPed, type '$
Apr 19 07:53:33 monitor anacron[18305]: Job `cron.daily' terminated
Apr 19 07:53:33 monitor anacron[18305]: Normal exit (1 job run)
Apr 19 08:17:01 monitor CRON[19047]: (root) CMD (  cd / && run-parts --report /etc/cron.hourly)
Apr 19 09:17:01 monitor CRON[19840]: (root) CMD (  cd / && run-parts --report /etc/cron.hourly)
Apr 19 10:17:01 monitor CRON[20693]: (root) CMD (  cd / && run-parts --report /etc/cron.hourly)
Apr 19 10:29:00 monitor init: cron main process (7280) killed by TERM signal
Apr 19 10:29:00 monitor cron[20962]: (CRON) INFO (pidfile fd = 3)
Apr 19 10:29:00 monitor cron[20963]: (CRON) STARTUP (fork ok)
Apr 19 10:29:00 monitor cron[20963]: (CRON) INFO (Skipping @reboot jobs -- not system startup)
Apr 19 10:32:01 monitor CRON[21009]: (root) CMD (^I/usr/sbin/force-standby)
Apr 19 11:17:01 monitor CRON[21699]: (root) CMD (  cd / && run-parts --report /etc/cron.hourly)

Cron just refuses to run the script, i've tried it in user crontab, and also tried changing roots crontab to a different user and removing any user at all, I've also tried removing the path but still nothing :/

Can anyone help?

Thanks!

[wizard10000]

Re: CRON script issues

Try this -

32 10 * * * root sh /usr/sbin/force-standby

You're running a shell script - you've gotta call the shell

[moo]

Re: CRON script issues

ahhh, still same result! should cron still need prompting to call SH if the script calls it anyway?

thanks anyway though!

[wizard10000]

Re: CRON script issues

Stupid question here. Is the script set as executable?

[moo]

Re: CRON script issues

Hehe, yeah it is, all perms etc fine too

As mentioned, it runs as expected for both root & standard user outside of cron

[kubicle]

Re: CRON script issues

However cron just wont run it, I've stuck it in /etc/crontab - perhaps this is the wrong file to be editing for kubuntu i'm not sure, this is how it reads;

Putting the cron command line in a separate file in /etc/cron.d/ might be better if there are updates to the /etc/crontab, but otherwise /etc/crontab should be fine in kubuntu as well.

My first thought would be that the script runs as reported by your cron log (the fact that there is a "^I" in front of the command to run suggests that you have both space(s) and a tab char between "root" and "/usr/sbin/force-standby", but that probably won't cause problems).

However, I'd suggest you let cron log the output of the script to see if there are errors running xset via cron (the environment is likely not the same as when running the command manually), you might need to set the $DISPLAY variable for the xset command, for example.

you can log the output to your log file by using this in your cron:
32 10 * * * root /usr/sbin/force-standby >> /tmp/fslogs.log 2>&1
and check /tmp/fslogs.log for errors once the script runs

[moo]

Re: CRON script issues

Nice one Kubicle! Thanks for that advice, will check out the logs today & also see if that display variable makes a difference

Will report back soon as!

Cheeers!