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Date:      Thu, 27 Jun 1996 09:34:08 -0500
From:      rjk@sparcmill.grauel.com (Richard J Kuhns)
To:        Bill/Carolyn Pechter <pechter@shell.monmouth.com>
Cc:        andrsn@andrsn.stanford.edu (Annelise Anderson), freebsd-questions@freebsd.org, freebsd-hackers@shell.monmouth.com
Subject:   The crontab controversy
Message-ID:  <199606271434.JAA17453@sparcmill.grauel.com>
In-Reply-To: <199606262358.TAA21815@shell.monmouth.com>
References:  <Pine.BSF.3.91.960626150317.593A-100000@andrsn.stanford.edu> <199606262358.TAA21815@shell.monmouth.com>

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pechter@shell.monmouth.com writes:
 > 
 > My fellow FreeBSD folks:
 > 
 > <begin soapbox mode>
 > 
 > It's time we took a stand.

yes

 > Isn't it time we abandon the two methods of handling crontabs.?

yes


 > I'm a fan of OS/x and Pyramid dual universe stuff (which I will add to 
 > Freebsd -- think universe bsd and universe gnu/linux) and EVEN I think ONE
 > crontab method is enough for anyone.
 > 
 > 
 > Should we:
 > 
 > 1.  Declare the ATT method the winner.
 > 2.  Declare the BSD method (the REAL original crontab) the winner.
 > 3.  Make the installation program remove one or the other at install
 >      (put /var/cront/tabs/root in with the same actions as /etc/crontab
 >      and have the install remove one or the other)
 > 4.  Ignore the problem and trap the users/admins?
 > 

In order of preference, 1 3 2 4.

Method 1 (/var/cron/tabs/*) offers the greatest versatility and
consistency; it's sole disadvantage, as far as I can see, is that it
requires root to execute one additional commmand when changing the system
crontab file: "crontab new_crontab".  I'd even be willing to argue that
this is a Good Thing.  Furthermore, a crontab file is a crontab file is a
crontab file.  This makes it easier to write a script that (syntactically)
verifies crontab files before installing them.
--
Rich Kuhns			rjk@grauel.com
PO Box 6249			Tel: (317)477-6000 x319
100 Sawmill Road
Lafayette, IN  47903




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