How to use <crontab> in linux


 
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# 1  
Old 11-26-2009
How to use <crontab> in linux

Hi all:

I try to set up crontab to run my script at certain time. but I had a problem.

basically, my script is located in my home directory of my linux machine.

before I run my actual script, I made an experiment. do:

Code:
crontab -e
* * * * * echo `who am i` >> ~/my.txt

and I got nothing in my.txt. The question is since the crontab doesn't recognize who am i, then I don't think it will run my actual script anyway.

how to solve this problem?

many thanks!
# 2  
Old 11-27-2009
when you execute "who am i" in a batch process, you are getting nothing.,

try executing some other, and specify absolute path of it, you are likely to get output.
Code:
* * * * * /bin/ls >> ~/my.txt


sadly, the first job you tried itself is giving you trouble, but anyway thats how we learnt unix, enjoy here.
# 3  
Old 11-27-2009
Thanks for replying!

it did work for absolute path.

I also try echo $PATH, and I got /usr/bin:/bin, which is not my actual environmental variable. what need I do, my actual command need the proper environmental path. just need align the $PATH, then I don't have to attach the proper path every time I try to call some commands.


I am a newbie to linux, sorry to ask such silly quesions.

Thanks million!

Last edited by allenxiao7; 11-27-2009 at 02:08 PM..
 
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