Re: [SAGE] crontabs vs /etc/cron.[daily,hourly,*] vs. /etc/cron.d/

[Leon Towns-von Stauber <leonvs@xxxxxxxxx>]

> So, with most Linux installs, you have these options:
>
> 1. normal use of crontabs
> 2. creating a crontab-like entry in a file in /etc/cron.d/
> 3. creating symlinks to your scripts in /etc/cron.hourly/,
> /etc/cron.daily/, etc. (I'll just say /etc/cron.daily to be short.)
> 4. /etc/crontab for the root user being able to run cron jobs as any
> user, unlike /etc/cron.d/ and /etc/cron.daily/.
>
> The question here isn't one of technical correctness (they are all
> correct), but one of consistency both internally and, potentially,  
> with
> other people messing with cronjobs on the same box.
>
> The debate started when I logged into a server and didn't see our jobs
> in root's crontab or as symlink under /etc/cron.daily/. They were in
> /etc/cron.d/. Fine. Except I never do that. I usually use a user's
> crontab or /etc/cron.daily/. So, immediately, we have a internal
> consistency issue, which could, conceivably, cause me to create a
> duplicate cronjob. (Let's ignore documentation and change management.)


I did the same thing recently, creating a duplicate job in the root
crontab after a few years away from active Linux use, and forgetting
about /etc/crontab and the /etc/cron.*/ directories. There are too many
places to put the same thing.

Personally, I prefer a per-user crontab. For one, it's the only thing a
plain user can modify directly if he or she wants to manage jobs. In
addition, I believe it's the only mechanism that works consistently on
all modern UNIXen. However, the /etc/cron.*/ stuff is useful for
packaged software.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Leon Towns-von Stauber                  http://www.occam.com/leonvs/
"We have not come to save you, but you will not die in vain!"