"bad file unit number" error from shell script run under cron

[Blizard]

I am getting an odd failure from a ksh script on a system that was just upgraded from AIX 5.2 to 5.3 ML3. The script runs fine from the command line, but from cron I get the following email:

Cron Environment:
SHELL =
PATH=/usr/bin:/etc:/usr/sbin:/usr/ucb:/usr/bin/X11:/sbin:/usr/java130/jre/bin:/usr/java130/bin
CRONDIR=/var/spool/cron/crontabs
ATDIR=/var/spool/cron/atjobs
LOGNAME=root
HOME=/

Your "cron" job executed on nsyrp64a on Fri Feb 3 09:03:00 EST 2006 /home/root/production/DR-info/SCRIPTS/do-build-dr-script.ksh >> /tmp/build.log 2>&1À


produced the following output:

sh: 1^€: bad file unit number

I can't figure out why I am getting this all of a sudden. The script builds vg, lv, and fs recreation command files for use in DR. It has a few functions defined within the scripts, and calls a couple of perl scripts, but all other work is done within the shell script.

Any suggestions on where to look?

Robert Blizard
National Grid USA Service Co.
An expert is a man who has made all the mistakes which can be made, in a narrow field.
Neils Bohr (1885-1962)

 

[KenCunningham]

Not sure why this should occur all of a sudden, but possibly a redirection error? See:

http://www.codecomments.com/archive286-2004-6-218871.html

Hope this helps.

 

[Blizard]

Found the problem! Somewhere in the upgrade process I guess, an invalid character got appended to the cron entry. The result was that the command was trying to redirect stderr to a bogus file, rather than the usual '1'.

Thanks to all and any who gave this attention.

Robert Blizard
National Grid USA Service Co.
An expert is a man who has made all the mistakes which can be made, in a narrow field.
Neils Bohr (1885-1962)