How to run linux commands using cron - cron

I have a couple of linux commands I want to run everyday in the morning once using cron. Not sure how to do this though.
I understand that this needs to be done using shell, but I don't know how to do all this in linux. I will be able to create cron using cpanel though...
These are the commands
rm -rf <directory>
mkdir <directory>
chmod 777 <directory>

You can create a shell script with this commands in a file script.sh, for example:
#!/usr/bin/bash
rm -rf <directory>
mkdir <directory>
chmod 777 <directory>
<others commands or logical instructions>...
In linux you can add a cron job in crontab, with crontab -e command, or in /etc/cron.d directory. The difference is that with command crontab -e the cron job will be set to user that execute crontab -e and add a cron job file right in cron.d you will need to put the user ahead the command of cron job.
Examples of cron jobs to be executed at 06:00 am.
With crontab -e:
0 6 * * * /usr/bin/bash /path_to_script/script.sh
Creating a file in /etc/cron.d:
0 6 * * * root /usr/bin/bash /path_to_script/script.sh
Alternatively you can just put the commands in your cron job as:
0 6 * * * rm -rf <directory> && mkdir <directory> && chmod 777 <directory>
Attention: remember to put the absolute path to directories that want to remove or create
PS: you can make your scripts in any language and use shell calls, as php with shell_exec() function or system() function of perl.

Related

When scheduled with cron, ./azcopy does not run

There is a shell script in the location /file/location/azcopy/, and an Azcopy binary is also located there
The below command runs successfully when I run it manually
./azcopy cp "/abc/def/Goa.csv" "https://.blob.core.windows.net/abc\home\xyz?"
However, when I scheduled it in crontab, the "./azcopy" command didn't execute.
below is the script
#!/bin/bash
./azcopy cp "/abc/def/Goa.csv" "https://<Blobaccount>.blob.core.windows.net/abc\home\xyz?<SAS- Token>"
below is the crontab entry
00 17 * * * root /file/location/azcopy/script.sh
Is there something I'm doing wrong?
Could someone please help me figure out what's wrong.
When you use root to execute the /file/location/azcopy/script.sh,you work directory is /root ,so you need to add cd /file/location/azcopy/ in your script.sh script to change work directory. You can add pwd in your script to see the current work directory.

crontab bash script not running

I updated the script with the absolute paths. Also here is my current cronjob entry.
I went and fixed the ssh key issue so I know it works know, but might still need to tell rsync what key to use.
The script runs fine when called manually by user. It looks like not even the rm commands are being executed by the cron job.
UPDATE
I updated my script but basically its the same as the one below. Below I have a new cron time and added an error output.
I get nothing. It looks like the script doesn't even run.
crontab -e
35 0 * * * /bin/bash /x/y/z/s/script.sh 2>1 > /tmp/tc.log
#!/bin/bash
# Clean up
/bin/rm -rf /z/y/z/a/b/current/*
cd /z/y/z/a/to/
/bin/rm -rf ?s??/D????
cd /z/y/z/s/
# Find the latest file
FILE=`/usr/bin/ssh user#server /bin/ls -ht /x/y/z/t/a/ | /usr/bin/head -n 1`
# Copy over the latest archive and place it in the proper directory
/usr/bin/rsync -avz -e /urs/bin/ssh user#server:"/x/y/z/t/a/$FILE" /x/y/z/t/a/
# Unzip the zip file and place it in the proper directory
/usr/bin/unzip -o /x/y/z/t/a/$FILE -d /x/y/z/t/a/current/
# Run Dev's script
cd /x/y/z/t/
./old.py a/current/ t/ 5
Thanks for the help.
I figured it out, I'm use to working in cst and the server was in gmt time.
Thanks everybody for the help.

Linux script is unable to delete files via crontab, but it works manually

I have a simple script file to copy all files to a remote server and then delete them all. I could run this script by "user" manually, when i add into crontab (user), the first part, scp, works fine, but the rm part is always with failure.
i wonder what i am missing or set up incorrectly, could somebody help me out with this ?
thanks in advance
/home/user/bin/test.sh
#!/bin/bash
scp -v -r /var/spool/asterisk/monitor test#xx.xx.xx.xx:/home/test/audio&&sudo rm -f /var/spool/asterisk/monitor/*
access permission of /var/spool/asterisk/monitor
drwxr-xr-x. 1 root root 532 Sep 06 11:14 monitor
crontab - user]
* */1 * * * bash /home/user/bin/test.sh
try this, it will work if sudo does not require password ( and it is possible ) )
scp -v -r /var/spool/asterisk/monitor test#xx.xx.xx.xx:/home/test/audio && ssh test#xx.xx.xx.xx "sudo rm -f /var/spool/asterisk/monitor/*"
Make sure requiretty is off in /etc/sudoers. It is normally on by default on Red Hat.

Crontab executes shell script: Mount error(13): Permission denied

I have got a RasPi and I actually try to execute a shellscript to automount a folder at every Reboot.
Script Command is:
sudo mount -t cifs 'folderpath' 'pointtomount' -o username=xxx,password=xxx,sec=ntlm
It works perfect if I use it manually but via cronjob it responses "Mount Error(13): Permission denied" and the mount can't be executed.
Means cronjob executes the file at least.
My idea was to mount it manually and check if automount is disabled in /etc/fstab or /etc/mtab. As it's just a folder I only found it in mtab.
I can't write in it but nowhere's "noauto" in the options so probabbly everything is correct.
Not certain if it has sth. in common with crontab execute rights but ls -lha /usr/bin/crontab output is -rwxr-sr-x 1.
If anyone of you got any clues how to solve this problem, i'd appreciate help.
Thanks
EDIT1:
Okay after hours and hours it seems to be working in /home/pi/.config/lxsession/LXDE-pi/autostart.sh (type "sudo nano /home/pi/.config/lxsession/LXDE-pi/autostart.sh"). In that file I wrote "#/home/pi/scripttoexecute.sh". In my executescript I wrote "sudo mount -t cifs 'foldertomount' 'directorypath' -o credentials=/root/.smbcredentials,iocharset=utf8,file_mode=0777,dir_mode=0777,sec=ntlm". Obviously to use the smbcredentials file, write "sudo nano /root/.smbcredentials" and in there "username=xxx" and next line "password=xxx" and optional domain.
Thanks to all and I hope that this might save someone elses time.
Not sure if it has sth in common with apt-get upgrade and apt-get update before.
Couple things here, first off every user can have their own crontab. For example:
crontab -e # Edit crontab of current user
crontab -u root -e # Edit crontab of root user (might need sudo for this)
crontab -u www-data -e # Edit crontab of www-data user
Another thing is that if you don't use crontab -e to edit the file, and actually edit the /etc/crontab file directly (do something like vim /etc/crontab), you can actually specify the user you'd like to run the cron as:
* * * * * root mount -t cifs /path/to/folder /point/to/mount -o username=xxx,password=xxx,sec=ntlm
To run via root's crontab at reboot, type:
sudo crontab -e
And add this line:
#reboot mount -t cifs 'folderpath' 'pointtomount' -o username=xxx,password=xxx,sec=ntlm
But really, shouldn't you be adding your auto-mounts to /etc/fstab?

tar archiving via cron does not work

I am trying to archive my localhost's root folder with tar and want to automate it's execution on a daily basis with crontab. For this purpose, I created a 'backupfolder' in my personal folder. I am running on Ubuntu 12.04.
The execution of tar in the command line works fine without problems:
sudo tar -cvpzf backupfolder/localhost.tar.gz /var/www
However, when I schedule the command for a daily backup (let's say at 17.00) in sudo crontab -e, it is not executing, i.e. the backup does not update using the following command:
0 17 * * * sudo tar -cpzf backupfolder/localhost.tar.gz /var/www
I already tried the full path home/user/backupfolder/localhost.tar.gz without success.
var/log/syslog gives me the following output for the scheduled execution:
Feb 2 17:00:01 DESKTOP-PC CRON[12052]: (root) CMD (sudo tar -cpzfbackupfolder/localhost.tar.gz /var/www)
Feb 2 17:00:01 DESKTOP-PC CRON[12051]: (CRON) info (No MTA installed, discarding output)
/etc/crontab specifies the following path:
SHELL=/bin/sh
PATH=/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin
I assume that crontab is not executing as this is a sudo command.
Is there a way how I can get this running? What is the recommended, safe way if I don't want to hardcode my root password?
Well, the command that works for you is
sudo tar -cvpzf backupfolder/localhost.tar.gz /var/www
Which means, you have to run the command with sudo access, and it will not work from within your crontab.
I would suggest adding the cron job to the root user's crontab.
Basically, do
sudo crontab -e
And add an entry there
0 17 * * * cd /home/user/backupfolder && tar -cpzf localhost.tar.gz /var/www
If that doesn't work, add the full path of tar (like /bin/tar).
Also, while debugging, set the cronjob to run every minute (* * * * *)
Basically the problem is the sudo command so we will allow sudo to run tar for the "user" without prompting for the password.
Add the following line in /etc/sudoers file.
user ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD:/bin/tar
where user is the user installing the crontab.
I suspect a PATH problem, try to set some variables at the top of sudo crontab -e :
MAILTO=your_email#domain.tld # to get the output if there's errors
PATH=/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/sbin
You can write your command in a script like run.sh
#/bin/sh -l
tar -cvpzf backupfolder/localhost.tar.gz /var/www
then use the crontab to run the script.
IMPORTANT NOTE: the script's first line has the "-l" option.
Try it.

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