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Crontab and interactive script

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# 1  
Old 06-28-2011
Crontab and interactive script
Hi all,
I'm trying to execute from crontab a script that uses an interactive shell (swmml, Signalware MML Commands).

I think the problem is about the crontab environment which miss tty/console/terminal etc...

After many tryings and searches I didn't come to a solution.

The program is launched from crontab this way:
Code:
15 * * * * su - omniusr -c "swmml -e \'DISPLAY-PROCESS\'" > swmml_D_PROCESS.log 2>&1

I always get this error message in the logfile:
Quote:
ERROR: STDIN is a character special file
The code in swmml (which is a perl script) that cause the error is:

Code:
   if (-t STDIN) {
    } elsif (-p STDIN) {
        if (-B STDIN) {
            die 'STDIN is a binary file';
        } else {
            return 1;
        }
    } elsif (-S STDIN) {
        die 'STDIN is a socket';
    } elsif (-c STDIN) {
        die 'STDIN is a character special file';
    } elsif (-f STDIN) {
        if (-B STDIN) {
            die 'STDIN is a binary file';
        } else {
            return 1;
        }
    } else {
        die $baIlaIlI.' doesn\'t know what STDIN is';
    }

Does anybody has a suggestion for this issue?
How can I run such command from crontab?

Thanks for your help!!!
# 2  
Old 06-28-2011
Did you try to run the script "swmml" manually ?

If it is an interactive script, what input does it wait for ?

If you post only a part of the code and not the wholle code, we may miss some things.
# 3  
Old 06-28-2011
Sorry, I didn't explained very well.

Running from command line:
Code:
su - omniusr -c "swmml -e \'DISPLAY-PROCESS\'"

works fine and I get a list of processes and then back to the cli.

While when I run it from crontab I get:
Code:
ERROR: STDIN is a character special file

I say interactive because I didn't know how to call it ... to me it looks like a problem related to the crontab environment and the nature of the swmml script, which is interactive.

I'm not sure I can send the whole code ...

Thanks,
Evan
# 4  
Old 06-28-2011
1) When you run the script from the command line does the script ask any questions which require keyboard input?

2) When you run the script from the command line, what user are you? root? omniusr? other?

3) Is this a root cron?
This User Gave Thanks to methyl For This Post:
ctsgnb
# 5  
Old 06-28-2011
Quote:
1) When you run the script from the command line does the script ask any questions which require keyboard input?
When I run this:
Code:
su - omniusr -c "swmml -e 'DISPLAY-PROCESS'"

from command line I just get some text and then back to cmd line.

Quote:
2) When you run the script from the command line, what user are you? root? omniusr? other?
I run the above command as root user

Quote:
3) Is this a root cron?
Yes I'm working from root crontab
# 6  
Old 06-28-2011
Maybe try making a cron version of the program and comment out the block of code which is testing STDIN.

It's unusual to issue "su - username" rather than "su username" from root cron. This is because the profile for the user may contain commands which are inappropriate for cron (e.g. stty commands). You'd normally create a script containing a preamble to set up a suitable environment to run the program (including a shebang line to get the right shell).
# 7  
Old 06-28-2011
@Evan ,

You missunderstood Methyl and I .

1) First do this :
Code:
su - omniusr

2) Now that you are user omniusr, run the script :
Code:
swmml -e 'DISPLAY-PROCESS'

3) Are you prompted by the script to manually enter some values ??? if so, which ?
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