Date: Thu, 27 Jun 1996 20:07:05 -0700 (PDT) From: Annelise Anderson <andrsn@andrsn.stanford.edu> To: Richard J Kuhns <rjk@sparcmill.grauel.com> Cc: Bill/Carolyn Pechter <pechter@shell.monmouth.com>, freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.org, freebsd-hackers@shell.monmouth.com Subject: Re: The crontab controversy Message-ID: <Pine.BSF.3.91.960627131647.1211A-100000@andrsn.stanford.edu> In-Reply-To: <199606271434.JAA17453@sparcmill.grauel.com>
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While you're debating it, let me suggest that putting a little info in /etc/crontab might avoid the trap I fell into. The file says, after all, that its root's crontab; so it seemed reasonable to use crontab -u root -e to edit it. Actually it's not root's crontab, it's the system's crontab. So it might be noted as a comment that "this file may be directly edited. Use crontab for creating crontabs for specific users, including root. See crontab (1) and crontab (5) for format differences." Annelise On Thu, 27 Jun 1996, Richard J Kuhns wrote: > 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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