[CentOS] crontab problems

Mon Feb 20 20:32:21 UTC 2006
James Fidell <james at cloud9.co.uk>

rado wrote:
> for some reason, crontab is not picking up a job here listed. I, for one
> see nothing wrong w/it as I have been running approx the same basic
> crontab for well over a year now. I have just put this box on line about
> a week ago tho soooo...here's the crontab:
> SHELL=/bin/bash
> PATH=/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin
> MAILTO=root
> HOME=/
> 
> # run-parts
> 01 * * * * root run-parts /etc/cron.hourly
> 02 4 * * * root run-parts /etc/cron.daily
> 22 4 * * 0 root run-parts /etc/cron.weekly
> 42 4 1 * * root run-parts /etc/cron.monthly
> 05 * * * * /usr/bin/freshclam
> #
> 11 0,4,8,12,16,20 * * * root /usr/bu-snap/bu-snap.sh > /dev/null 2>&1
> 
> I have another box running bu-snap.sh in the same kinda crontab setup.
> Only diff. is that box is a 64bit and this 32...both 4.2 sys. 
> 
> In the other box...bu-snap is logging in var/log/messages as it's
> supposed to the time it starts and the time it finishes...and the
> results show working fine. In this latest installed system...I just
> can't get it to run under this crontab. should run at hr:11 every 4 hrs.

Check the obvious stuff like /usr/bu-snap/bu-snap.sh is executable and
that it will run manually.

Then try redirecting the output to a file instead of /dev/null and check
that.

Try changing the cron job to "sh -x /usr/bu-snap/bu-snap.sh" with the
output directed to a file.

If all else fails, try "strace -o /var/tmp/file /usr/bu-snap/bu-snap.sh"
and see if that sheds any light on what's happening.

James