[OpenIndiana-discuss] how to set variables in crontab

[Jim Klimov]

On 15 January 2015 03:01:56 CET, Harry Putnam <reader at newsguy.com> wrote:
>WHen I try to set anything other than strict crontab entries cron
>refuses my edited crontab.  Things like PATH or mailto, any kind of
>var=value will cause it to be rejected.
>
>The most recent error is apparently coming from trying to use the
>date command like this
>
>* * * * *  somecmd  > some-$(date +"%y%m%d_%H%M%%S").log
>
>And apparently crontab is stumped on that and complains of unmatched
>`('
>
> sh: syntax error at line 1: `(' unmatched
>
>Here is the actual line:
>2  0,4,8,12,16,20 * * * ~/bin/rsnapshot -c
>/etc/rsnap/rc/rsnap_gvHome.conf hourly |tee /tmp/rsnap_gvHOME-$(date
>+\"%y%m%d_%H%M%S\").log
>
>Of course I checked thinking that I had left one off, but I hadn't nor
>is there a missing `"'
>
>Its beginning to seem solaris cron is awfully strict.  Or maybe
>primitive is the word.
>
>Or maybe there is technique I'm lacking. That one is very likely 
>
>`man crontab' says there are 3 variables supported.  Seems a bit
>constricted eh?  I was supprised not to see `PATH' and `mailto' on the
>list. 
>
>There is always the option of putting whatever I want in a separate
>wrapper script... but that seems like unecessary work.  At least to me.
>
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It is in fact better to put all logic into separate scripts, at least from systems management perspective - backup, reuse,  versioning, comparison, extension etc. are greatly simplified for separate files.

I am also not sure if cron is generally required to pass requests through a shell (rather than execute verbatim lines), and which one. You may have better luck with double-quotes and backticks to substitute command output rather than dollar-parenthesis though, e.g. "`date ...`" .

HTH, Jim
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