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Bug 46628 - Question on /etc/crontab installed by vixie-cron-3.0.1-r4
Summary: Question on /etc/crontab installed by vixie-cron-3.0.1-r4
Status: RESOLVED FIXED
Alias: None
Product: Gentoo Linux
Classification: Unclassified
Component: [OLD] Core system (show other bugs)
Hardware: All Linux
: High minor
Assignee: Jon Portnoy (RETIRED)
URL:
Whiteboard:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2004-04-02 11:51 UTC by Paul Varner (RETIRED)
Modified: 2004-04-19 11:38 UTC (History)
2 users (show)

See Also:
Package list:
Runtime testing required: ---


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Description Paul Varner (RETIRED) gentoo-dev 2004-04-02 11:51:28 UTC
I asked this on the gentoo-dev list and the silence was deafening.  I have seen several posts on the forum complaining about this and wanting to know how to turn it off, and I personally can't think of a reason for this change.

I would like to know the reasoning for changing the line in /etc/crontab
from:

*/15  *  * * *  root    test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons
to:
*  *  * * *  root    test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons

Thus changing it to run every minute instead of every 15 minutes?

I have administered many Unix/Linux systems and this is the first time that I have seen a system cronjob being set to run every minute.  I see no advantage to this and all it really does is cause over a thousand more messages to appear in my /var/log/messages file.  I understand that run-crons is used to run cron jobs that might have been missed while the system was down, but if the box isn't going to stay up for 15 minutes to have the run-crons job started, do we really care about running a cron job that was missed?

Reproducible: Always
Steps to Reproduce:
1. emerge vixie-cron-3.0.1-r4
2. edit /etc/crontab
3. Watch syslog print a message every minute about executing cron job
Comment 1 David D. Huff Jr. 2004-04-03 12:07:39 UTC
I'm not part of Gentoo support but that is the primary feature for using vcron (vixie-cron). The ability to start missed jobs.

In some cases it may be more appropriate to use just cron.

My use case is that my server performs a download within a five minute window every hour, if that sytem is rebooted durring that time. The download must be the first event. 
Comment 2 Tim Cera 2004-04-17 19:05:39 UTC
I agree with Paul, having cron run a script every minute is not right.

I have a laptop and have puzzled over why my hard drive didn't turn off.  Seems obvious now.

I set the line in the crontab to run the script every hour and might even remove it.

$0.02
Comment 3 Jon Portnoy (RETIRED) gentoo-dev 2004-04-19 11:38:55 UTC
I agree that every minute may be excessive. I've changed it to every ten minutes.

No revision bump because frankly I don't think it's major enough to warrant one -- remerge your cron if you want an updated /etc/crontab.