[OpenIndiana-discuss] how to set variables in crontab

[Jonathan Adams]

Yeah, I agree with Jim.  I always put logic and pipes (except to devnull)
into the script, usually in a folder called "/backups" ... :)

It allows me to test the scripts as well, or change the logic without
modifying the crontab.

Jon

On 15 January 2015 at 07:04, Jim Klimov <jimklimov at cos.ru> wrote:

> 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.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >_______________________________________________
> >openindiana-discuss mailing list
> >openindiana-discuss at openindiana.org
> >http://openindiana.org/mailman/listinfo/openindiana-discuss
>
> 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
> --
> Typos courtesy of K-9 Mail on my Samsung Android
>
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