crontab problem 1

[sixtoedsloth]

HI,

[sco 5.0.5]

i have a script in crontab that backs up files to a cpio archive, then runs a job to ftp them over a vpn to a redhat9 server.

when i run the job manually as root it works fine
but when crontab runs it, it creates the file but doesnt
ftp it. i have added a line to ping the remote box before i send it, which should help the vpn to build before the
files are sent. and i can watch the vpn build but no data
comes over, any ideas where i should be looking, logfiles,
or little gems of info that i may have missed would be much appreciated!


Cheers

Russ

 

[Annihilannic]

A posting of the script contents may help.

If you are not specifically redirecting anything to log files, they should appear in root's mailbox.

Annihilannic.

 

[edfair]

Runs fine manually but fails under crontab raises the crontab patch error flag.
Don't know if it applies, but there is a crontab patch for .5 and .6. I also don't have the patch number handy.

Ed Fair
Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply. Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.

 

[sixtoedsloth]

the scripts are as follows


# crontab
find pfx -name "*.tag" -print > /u4/bakup/fmabak.txt
find pfx -name "*.dat" -print >> /u4/bakup/fmabak.txt
cat /u4/bakup/fmabak.txt | cpio -ocvB -O /u4/bakup/fmabak.cpo
cd /u4/bakup
compress -fqH fmabak.cpo
/usr/bin/hcs/sendhcsbak



#sendhcsbak
ping -c5 192.168.200.7 &> null # lift line
rcftp 192.168.200.7 fatstock fatstock /u4/fmabak.cpo

#rcftp
ftp -inv <<!
open $1
user $2 $3
binary
mput $4
quit

 

[Annihilannic]

Is that a script called crontab or the actual contents of the crontab for that user?

If it's the actual crontab, it's missing the scheduling values, for example:

[tt]# minute hour monthday month weekday comands ...
30 13 * * * 0 /path/to/your/script[/tt]

man crontab for details.

Annihilannic.

 

[sixtoedsloth]

nah, sorry, its my crappy cut & paste!

thats the sript that is run from crontab!
it does actually run, because i get the cpio file
its just the ftp bit that doesnt run

russ

 

[fredericofonseca]

You said that it works with you run the script manually.

Have you tried to run the scrip on the background
e.g.
./script &




Regards

Frederico Fonseca
SysSoft Integrated Ltd

http://www.syssoft-int.com

 

[Annihilannic]

Jobs run by cron have a fairly restricted default path of /bin:/usr/bin:. Are you sure rcftp is in that path? If not, try specifying its full name.

It may also be a good idea to put shebang lines at the beginning of your scripts so you're sure they're running in the correct shell, e.g.:

[tt]#!/bin/sh
find pfx -name &quot;*.tag&quot; -print > /u4/bakup/fmabak.txt
...[/tt]

Annihilannic.

 

[sixtoedsloth]

Cheers Annihilannic,

im not sure if its the #!/bin/sh
or the full path name, but it works

you are a star, have a star

Russ

 

[sixtoedsloth]

cheers, the combination of both the #!/bin/sh and the fuly specified path seems to have worked have a star!

Russ