UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

I'm trying to set up a php script that runs via crontab on a server. I've never done anything like this before.


My questions:

1) I want the crontab to run the script everyday from 3:58 PM to 4:13 PM EST. How is that written in crontab?

2) The command I want crontab to run is: php -q /path/to/script.php
According to that path name, where do I put the php script on my server? Do I have to create a folder named "path" with a folder named "to" in it, and put "script.php" in that folder?



More about question #1...

I can access my server through Cpanel (Hostgator). In Cpanel they provide two ways to enter a crontab. Here are screenshots showing both of those Cron Managers:
http://www.iov.in/cpanelcronmanagers.jpg


Because I want crontab to run the php script from 3:58 pm EST until 4:13 pm EST, I'm wondering how I am going to be able to enter that into either Cron Managers that Hostgator provides. There doesn't seem to be a way to enter a crontab so it starts 2 minutes before one hour (3 pm) and runs until 13 minutes after the next hour (4 pm).

Once someone does help me with the way the cronjob needs to be written, any ideas on how I enter that code into either one of the Cpanel Cron Managers? If I have to upload the crontab code to the server without using CPanel, how do I do that?

You cannot define "from:to" time frames with cronjob, you can tell when to start. For the path, put the script outside of the ServerRoot, i.e. /home/script.php. For other host related questions it's best to ask the hosting provider's support staff.

Normally, a cron job is executed, and it does whatever it does, and stops.

Sounds like you want it to run continuously until a certain time. If that's the case, you need to have the conditional loop within the script you are running.

If, instead, you want it to run every minute from 3:58 to 4:13, then simple enter two lines in the crontab document, such as:

58,59 15 * * * /path/script
0-13 16 * * * /path/script

The first like runs it at 3:58pm and 3:59pm. The second line runs it every minute from 4:00pm thru 4:13pm.

Note that this will execute it SIXTEEN times.

nevermind............