topic Re: su from cron in Operating System - HP-UX

su from cron

P-Dicky — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 18:31:13 GMT

Hi
I'm trying this from root cron
50 * * * * "su - wmsusr -c /wms/app/zabbix/check_zabbix.sh"

Works fine if I
# su - wmsusr
]: /wms/app/zabbix/check_zabbix.sh
1
2
3
4
5
wmsusr@prodomni ksh[392]:

Here is the script
HOSTNAME=`whoami`
echo 1
value=`ps -fu $HOSTNAME |grep zabbix| grep -v grep| wc -l`
echo 2
if [ $value -eq 0 ]; then
echo 3
rm -f /wms/app/zabbix/agentd.pid
echo 4
/wms/app/zabbix/zabbix_agentd -c /wms/app/zabbix/zabbix_agentd.conf
echo 5
fi
exit 0;

Re: su from cron

James R. Ferguson — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 18:48:45 GMT

Hi:

What does the '/var/adm/cron/log' show; particularly the return code (rc=)?

Regards!

...JRF...

Re: su from cron

P-Dicky — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 18:49:07 GMT

I should mention if I run
# su - wmsusr -c /wms/app/zabbix/check_zabbix.sh
from root prompt I get this

1
2
logout
#

Re: su from cron

Wilfred Chau_1 — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 20:02:13 GMT

you are trying to check if zabbix agent is running as wmsusr, if not remove the pid and start zabbix agent.

your second output ran as root, did you stop the agent before running the script? If the agent is running, you will see only 1 and 2 right?

Re: su from cron

James R. Ferguson — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 20:33:05 GMT

Hi:

I believe Wilfred may have found the reason.

You really ought to change the *name* of the variable that holds the *user* id. Calling the variable "HOSTNAME" is rather misleading :-)

Regards!

...JRF...

Re: su from cron

Dennis Handly — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 04:54:40 GMT

>value=`ps -fu $HOSTNAME | grep zabbix| grep -v grep | wc -l`

You may want to list what $HOSTNAME and "ps -fu $HOSTNAME" shows so you can make sure what you are looking for.

Re: su from cron

P-Dicky — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 11:33:48 GMT

Hi All...

Hostname is a bad var name but I don't see how it causes the problem... The agent is not running when I'm running the script and from root

su - wmsusr -c /wms/app/zabbix/check_zabbix.sh

Results
~/.kshrc

1
2
logout

Any ideas? THANKS!

Re: su from cron

P-Dicky — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 11:36:23 GMT

Just to confirm again... If I su to wmsusr and then run all is fine... Just when I'm calling from roots cron and trying to su to that user do I have an issue.

Re: su from cron

James R. Ferguson — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 12:10:33 GMT

HI (again):

> If I su to wmsusr and then run all is fine... Just when I'm calling from roots cron and trying to su to that user do I have an issue.

Why do you 'cron' this as 'root' if you then switch to the 'wmsusr'?

What happens if you 'cron' this task as the 'wmsuer' ?

Regards!

...JRF...

Re: su from cron

P-Dicky — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 12:11:52 GMT

Right now only root user has cron and because of service guard they just want one crontab to maintain... Small IT group.

Re: su from cron

James R. Ferguson — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 12:31:27 GMT

Hi (again):

> Right now only root user has cron and because of service guard they just want one crontab to maintain... Small IT group.

Regardless, would you humor us and try running as a crontask of 'wmsusr' (without the need to 'su')?

> Hostname is a bad var name but I don't see how it causes the problem

Of course not. I merely was pointing out that when you ask someone to look at your code, it always helps to have used *meaningful* variable names. You wouldn't show me an orange and tell me that the apple you have is rotten, would you?

Regards!

...JRF...

Re: su from cron

Wilfred Chau_1 — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 16:58:11 GMT

what is the result, if you do not invoking a login shell? i.e.

50 * * * * "su wmsusr -c /wms/app/zabbix/check_zabbix.sh"

Re: su from cron

P-Dicky — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 18:13:52 GMT

Hi All... I just moved the su into the script and it is fine now...
echo 4
su - wmsusr -c "/wms/app/zabbix/zabbix_agentd -c /wms/app/zabbix/zabbix_agentd.conf"
echo 5

Re: su from cron

P-Dicky — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 18:15:29 GMT

See above, opps.