How to run a cron job with root user

[Becke]

Hi Guys,

On my hp server, i would like to schedule a cron job to be run by root, I'm just wondering whether below is the correct file to modify, so root user can run the job.

/var/spool/cron/crontabs/root.live ?

is root.live file is the one i need to modify, so the root user can run the cron job?

Cheers,
Raf

[Patrick Wallek · Accepted solution]

Nope. What you want to do is a 'crontab -e' from the prompt. That will allow you to modify root's crontab file which is actually /var/spool/cron/crontabs/root

[Steven E. Protter]

As far as I know, that file you refrer to is meaningless. Perhaps some documentation by the sysadmin.

crontab -e edits root cron, though others work on a file and move it to the appropriate location in /var/spool/cron

SEP

[T G Manikandan]

/var/spool/cron/crontabs/root is the file and you should edit and make entries using

#crontab -e

[Naveej.K.A]

Hi Rafiq,

Make sure you login as root :) and then do a crontab -e to edit the root's crontab file.

Regards,
Naveej

[Becke]

thanks for everyone's response,

I've already trying running crontab -e as root before sending my last message, but it bombed out with an error message that crontab can't be opened?????

cheers

[Suraj Singh_1]

Hi,

Login as root, and look for a file named root in /var/spool/cron/crontabs directory. If the file doesn't exist, create it and make the entries to this file.
Regards,

[Y.J.JIN]

Hi,


You can try this.

1. su to root

2. check EDITOR env. (EDITOR=vi)

3. vi /var/adm/cron/cron.allow
Ex. root #<--Add

4. ps -ef|grep cron
Ex. /usr/sbin/cron

5. crontab -e
Ex. * * * * * /var/tmp/test.sh

Hope help you

[Devesh Pant_1]

Although I am assuming noone has played with the cron.allow and cron.deny files in the /var/adm/cron directory,
please make sure if you have a cron.allow file, the contents have root.
If you don't either have one created with the entries root adm and uucp
If this file is missing for some reason, and you want cron access to the entire system, just touch /var/adm/cron/cron.deny

Also check for the cron daemon
ps -ef| grep cron

if there is none just issue the command

/usr/sbin/cron

I hope after this there is no reason for cron not to work.

thanks
Devesh

[Becke]

Thanks to all for such a quick response, actually I have found out the problem, the root's cron file was missing in the crontab directory.

I have manually created this file with the touch command and modified it accordingly, i can now run crontab -e or with -l options.

Thanks for everyone's help

Cheers,
Raf

[Rory R Hammond]

Farhan,

I usually do not recommend using crontab -e.

I do:
crontab -l > /var/spool/cron/root.copy

edit the root.copy file.

Then do:
crontab /var/spool/cron/root.copy.

This method gives you a copy and if you finger check a entry, you don't have to recover your crontab entry from backup.

Rory