UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

Hi

I am new to Unix and would like some assistance.

I need to edit the crontab file so that a script is set to run at 3:00 am each day.

When I telnet to the sun server and type crontab -e a black screen appears and I am unable to make any changes.

Could you advice on what is needed to edit the crontab file and what should the script say to achieve my goal.

Regards

Looks like you do not have a crontab file set up or its corrupted.
try crontab -l to list the crontab file...
Still nothing...

use the crontab -e to start your new crontab file
enter the commands then save it.

3:00am each day would be
00 3 * * * /my/script/to/run > /dev/null 2>&1
do a man on crontab or cron for info

Hi

Thanks for your response. I was able to locate the crontab file. Could you identify the actual steps to edit the file. There is a command string currently in place. How can I delete and replace. Can I use notepad or some other editing software to access the crontab file.

Thanks

See this thread: https://www.unix.com/answers-to-frequently-asked-questions/13527-cron-crontab.html

Provides a good overview of how cron works.

Juliet,

I'm not a unix guru, either, and I was mystifed by the crontab business at first.

I don't know what your OS is... Mine is Solaris. When I first launched crontab -l or -e, my screen was not blank but it did just hang there without doing anything. This was because I had not specified any type of editor for my environment variables. Don't know if this might be your problem?

First, I execute:
export EDITOR=vi

Then, I execute:
crontab -e

This brings up a vi editor into which the cron jobs are set up. If you are really really new to unix, you might not be familiar with vi, which is a unix text editor. Find a cheat sheet for vi, before you use it the first time.

Like everyone has said, do NOT edit the crontab file directly. Only do it with the crontab -e command.

Hope this helps,
Shirley

Hi

Thanks for your response, I now believe I am gettin a little closer to resolving the issue.
I typed export EDITOR=vi, and got this error message "EDITOR=vi: is not an identifier". Also could you identify where I can find a cheat sheet for vi.

What should I do here.

Search this site for "vi tutorial" and you will find a link to a README that includes tutorials for lots of unix stuff, including a couple specifically for vi.

As I mentioned, I am on Solaris. Perhaps you are on a different OS which would require a different syntax for setting the editor.