Cron and script failing

[Carl Munnelly]

I think I know the solution but just want it confirming.

Got a user (informix) running cron, but crons are failing.

However logged in as user manually and it asked me which version (i.e wanted inputting an enviroment variable)

I'm assuming this is why crons are failing as not completing this login process.

[Peter Godron · Accepted solution]

Carl,
cron does not use the login environment scripts like .profile etc.
So if you want to have the same environment, you have to execute the .profile from within your cron job.

[Jeff_Traigle]

That would be true. cron jobs are run non-interactively and none of the initialization files (/etc/profile and ${HOME}/.profile) are sourced. Any variables that are needed by the script, must be defined in the script or explicitly sourced from an existing file. PATH is also very minimal in the cron environment.

[Carl Munnelly]

Thanks guys, just been pointed out that used to be trusted system. No entry in cronaids for informix

[Carl Munnelly]

put entry in crontab to touch dummy files. This failed with rc=1. but if command run as informix user maunally file created successfully.

[James R. Ferguson]

Hi Carl:

To use 'cron' if the account name appears in the '/usr/lib/cron/cron.allow'. If that file doesn't exist, then a crontask is allowd if the account name doesn't appear in the '/usr/lib/cron/cron.deny'. Do you have an "allow" entry?

Regards!

...JRF...

[Carl Munnelly]

noticed sticky bit for cron not set right

was r_Sr_xr_x changed to r_sr_xr_x and working fine.

Thanks for help

[Carl Munnelly]

see my last comments, this was resolution.