Original: # check scripts in cron.hourly, cron.daily, cron.weekly and cron.monthly #0 * * * * root rm -f /var/spool/cron/lastrun/cron.hourly #1 3 * * * root rm -f /var/spool/cron/lastrun/cron.daily #15 4 * * 6 root rm -f /var/spool/cron/lastrun/cron.weekly #30 5 1 * * root rm -f /var/spool/cron/lastrun/cron.monthly #*/10 * * * * root test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons "root" is executed as a parameter and my mail root@mydomain continiusly got this e-mails. also in /var/log/messages logs failures. the correct should be: 0 * * * * rm -f /var/spool/cron/lastrun/cron.hourly 1 3 * * * rm -f /var/spool/cron/lastrun/cron.daily 15 4 * * 6 rm -f /var/spool/cron/lastrun/cron.weekly 30 5 1 * * rm -f /var/spool/cron/lastrun/cron.monthly */10 * * * * test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons then: crontab /etc/crontab /etc/init.d/vixie-cron restart and fixed
man 5 crontab: The format of a cron command is very much the V7 standard, with a number of upward-compatible extensions. Each line has five time and date fields, followed by a user name if this is the system crontab file, followed by a command. Commands are executed by cron(8) when You shouldn't run `crontab /etc/crontab` with vixie-cron http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/handbook-x86.xml?part=1&chap=9#doc_chap3 http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/cron-guide.xml#systemtab
yeah, nice, what ever. but the problem was fixed doing what i did, so if there is a problem, i really wasy to fix it, i am not the expert and responsable of vixie-cron ebuilds so i just send you this report, if someone else tells you which have's the same error, so you know which it exist and how to fix it. look, i followed the instruction on how to install gentoo as 15 times. i know it. but when i look at /var/log/messages i see lot of lines like this: Jan 13 02:10:01 servidor cron[9285]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 02:10:01 servidor cron[9286]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 02:20:01 servidor cron[9387]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 02:20:01 servidor cron[9388]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 02:30:01 servidor cron[9441]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 02:30:01 servidor cron[9442]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 02:40:01 servidor cron[9469]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 02:40:01 servidor cron[9470]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 02:50:01 servidor cron[9497]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 02:50:01 servidor cron[9498]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 03:00:01 servidor cron[9525]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 03:00:01 servidor cron[9526]: (root) CMD (rm -f /var/spool/cron/lastrun/cron.hourly) Jan 13 03:00:01 servidor cron[9528]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 03:00:01 servidor cron[9531]: (root) CMD (root^Irm -f /var/spool/cron/lastrun/cron.hourly) Jan 13 03:01:01 servidor cron[9575]: (root) CMD (rm -f /var/spool/cron/lastrun/cron.daily) Jan 13 03:01:01 servidor cron[9576]: (root) CMD (root^Irm -f /var/spool/cron/lastrun/cron.daily) Jan 13 03:10:02 servidor cron[9605]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 03:10:02 servidor cron[9606]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 03:20:01 servidor cron[9630]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 03:20:01 servidor cron[9631]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 03:30:01 servidor cron[9672]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 03:30:01 servidor cron[9673]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 03:40:01 servidor cron[9700]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 03:40:01 servidor cron[9701]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 03:50:01 servidor cron[9727]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 03:50:01 servidor cron[9729]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 04:00:01 servidor cron[9757]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 04:00:01 servidor cron[9758]: (root) CMD (rm -f /var/spool/cron/lastrun/cron.hourly) Jan 13 04:00:01 servidor cron[9759]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 04:00:01 servidor cron[9761]: (root) CMD (root^Irm -f /var/spool/cron/lastrun/cron.hourly) Jan 13 04:10:01 servidor cron[9814]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 04:10:01 servidor cron[9815]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 04:20:01 servidor cron[9842]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 04:20:01 servidor cron[9843]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 04:30:01 servidor cron[9870]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 04:30:01 servidor cron[9871]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 04:40:01 servidor cron[9897]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 04:40:01 servidor cron[9899]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 04:50:01 servidor cron[9926]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 04:50:01 servidor cron[9927]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 05:00:01 servidor cron[9954]: (root) CMD (rm -f /var/spool/cron/lastrun/cron.hourly) Jan 13 05:00:01 servidor cron[9957]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 05:00:02 servidor cron[9959]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 05:00:02 servidor cron[9960]: (root) CMD (root^Irm -f /var/spool/cron/lastrun/cron.hourly) Jan 13 05:10:01 servidor cron[10012]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 05:10:01 servidor cron[10013]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 05:20:01 servidor cron[10040]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 05:20:01 servidor cron[10041]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 05:30:01 servidor cron[10068]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 05:30:01 servidor cron[10069]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 05:40:01 servidor cron[10095]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 05:40:01 servidor cron[10097]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 05:50:01 servidor cron[10124]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 05:50:01 servidor cron[10125]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 06:00:01 servidor cron[10155]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 06:00:01 servidor cron[10152]: (root) CMD (rm -f /var/spool/cron/lastrun/cron.hourly) Jan 13 06:00:01 servidor cron[10157]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 06:00:01 servidor cron[10158]: (root) CMD (root^Irm -f /var/spool/cron/lastrun/cron.hourly) Jan 13 06:10:01 servidor cron[10210]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 06:10:01 servidor cron[10211]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 06:20:01 servidor cron[10238]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 06:20:01 servidor cron[10239]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 06:30:01 servidor cron[10265]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 06:30:01 servidor cron[10267]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 06:40:01 servidor cron[10293]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 06:40:01 servidor cron[10295]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 06:50:01 servidor cron[10322]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 06:50:01 servidor cron[10323]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 07:00:01 servidor cron[10353]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 07:00:01 servidor cron[10350]: (root) CMD (rm -f /var/spool/cron/lastrun/cron.hourly) Jan 13 07:00:01 servidor cron[10355]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 07:00:01 servidor cron[10358]: (root) CMD (root^Irm -f /var/spool/cron/lastrun/cron.hourly) Jan 13 07:10:01 servidor cron[10408]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 07:10:01 servidor cron[10409]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 07:20:01 servidor cron[10436]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 07:20:01 servidor cron[10437]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 07:30:01 servidor cron[10463]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 07:30:01 servidor cron[10465]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 07:40:01 servidor cron[10493]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 07:40:01 servidor cron[10491]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 07:50:01 servidor cron[10520]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 07:50:01 servidor cron[10521]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 08:00:01 servidor cron[10551]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 08:00:01 servidor cron[10548]: (root) CMD (rm -f /var/spool/cron/lastrun/cron.hourly) Jan 13 08:00:01 servidor cron[10553]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 08:00:01 servidor cron[10556]: (root) CMD (root^Irm -f /var/spool/cron/lastrun/cron.hourly) Jan 13 08:10:01 servidor cron[10606]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 08:10:01 servidor cron[10607]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 08:20:01 servidor cron[10634]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 08:20:01 servidor cron[10635]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 08:30:01 servidor cron[10662]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 08:30:01 servidor cron[10663]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 08:40:01 servidor cron[10689]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 08:40:01 servidor cron[10691]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 08:50:01 servidor cron[10718]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 08:50:01 servidor cron[10719]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 09:00:01 servidor cron[10749]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 09:00:01 servidor cron[10746]: (root) CMD (rm -f /var/spool/cron/lastrun/cron.hourly) Jan 13 09:00:01 servidor cron[10751]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 09:00:01 servidor cron[10754]: (root) CMD (root^Irm -f /var/spool/cron/lastrun/cron.hourly) Jan 13 09:10:01 servidor cron[10796]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 09:10:01 servidor cron[10797]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 09:20:01 servidor cron[10830]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 09:20:01 servidor cron[10829]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 09:30:01 servidor cron[10857]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 09:30:01 servidor cron[10858]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 09:40:01 servidor cron[10885]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 09:40:01 servidor cron[10887]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 09:50:01 servidor cron[10913]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Jan 13 09:50:01 servidor cron[10914]: (root) CMD (root^Itest -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) this doesn't tell me so much, so i did nothing. i dont have any custom script running with cron to see if it is working or not. it should (documentation doesn't say anything about this lines) now, i am installing a mail sever (qmail+vpopmail+courier-imap...), when i login for first time to postmaster (i have root@... redirected to postmaster@...) i receibe a lot LOT of mails from cron, like this: from: root@......com.ar to: root@.....com.ar subject: Cron <root@servidor> root test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons body: /bin/bash: root: command not found I think, this is clearly an error report. I dont know, maybe i am so stupid than i never read an stupid man page. chequing the sintax on /etc/crontab everything seems to be fine. SO i start to search on internet (google) whith this error, i have some mailinglists comments about remove root (i ask my self why? but i coulnd't find an answer and i dont care at the moment) before remove root i restart vixie-cron but "crontab -l" shows me the non modified crontab, so i try to run "crontab /etc/crontab" and restart vixie, and it works. No erros in /var/log/messages and no mail error reports at the moment. So i think, my stupid mind fix this problem? and this problem was with the default configuration of vixie-cron, so why not?, lets tell the gentoo guys to fix this issue, and the way to do it. Now if you dont what to check the error, dont do it, i dont care. I like to waste my time sending stupids reports. Not everybody are idiots finding help before search the web. I know them exist i was one. PD: Sorry for my english. I change the bug to fixed becouse it IS fixed on my side.
*** Bug 131539 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Please, don't resolve bugs as fixed until they are fixed in portage. This one is NOT fixed.
This bug did not need any fixing in the first place. There's nothing wrong with the default /etc/crontab of vixie-cron.
(In reply to comment #5) > This bug did not need any fixing in the first place. > There's nothing wrong with the default /etc/crontab of vixie-cron. Like, that spamming root account w/ crap is a feature? :P
Well, replacing the tab with spaces in the crontab doesn't do anything other than the repeated command using spaces. It still runs the command in the crontab then tries to run root <command> which of course generates an error since root isn't a runnable command. So it has to be something in vixie cron and the way it parses the crontab.
jakub, care to explain where you see a bug? i can't :( the current vixie-cron /etc/crontab is correct according to the docs and works on more than a handfull systems... the experienced behavior is most likely due to misconfiguration on the user part, AFAICT. (ie. do NOT run 'crontab /etc/crontab') thanks.
(In reply to comment #8) > jakub, care to explain where you see a bug? > i can't :( OK, I give up. The default crontab as installed by Gentoo spams root account by crap because it's broken. Directly explained in comment #1. What's so unclear about this? Steps to reproduce: - emerge vixie-cron, no need to do *anything* else - watch the daily junk in your mailbox
Err, I meant comment #0 (In reply to comment #1) > You shouldn't run `crontab /etc/crontab` with vixie-cron He? Maybe the ebuild shouldn't install it first of all then? $ equery b /etc/crontab [ Searching for file(s) /etc/crontab in *... ] sys-process/vixie-cron-4.1-r9 (/etc/crontab)
but it is the system crontab.... it is directly used by vixie-cron... of course it should be installed! i did exactly the steps you described, and it works OK here... from man 5 crontab: Each line has five time and date fields, followed by a user name if this is the system crontab file, followed by a command. where "the system crontab" is /etc/crontab. i am not claiming that the your install does not send you spam mails - but i do claim that this is not because of a broken system crontab. do this: emerge --unmerge vixie-cron mv /var/spool/cron /var/spool/cron.old rm /etc/crontab emerge vixie-cron /etc/init.d/vixie-cron start this is what my /var/log/messages gives me: Mar 1 20:53:32 marsupilami cron[8807]: (CRON) STARTUP (V5.0) Mar 1 20:54:01 marsupilami cron[8807]: (*system*) RELOAD (/etc/crontab) Mar 1 20:55:01 marsupilami cron[8819]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Mar 1 20:56:01 marsupilami cron[8841]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) Mar 1 20:57:01 marsupilami cron[8850]: (root) CMD (test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons ) (i edited the system crontab to run run-crons every minute - which is why you see the RELOAD, because vixie-cron detects changes to /etc/crontab by itself) and no spam in any inbox - in fact no mail at all... the 'fix' in the original report is an uninformed opinion and no more...(sorry!) so, lets call that a CANTREPRODUCE :( what do YOU say?
(In reply to comment #11) > so, lets call that a CANTREPRODUCE More like INVALID imvho. It's easy to reproduce, just run `crontab /etc/crontab` FYI, the FreeBSD guys did the sensible thing and added "some limited anti-foot-shooting support" to crontab.c It might be worth the effort to do the same thing. See http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/cvsweb.cgi/src/usr.sbin/cron/crontab/crontab.c
Created attachment 112780 [details, diff] /usr/portage/sys-process/vixie-cron/files/vixie-cron-4.1-chksyscrontab.patch I appended an epatch in the ebuild and did a quick test on x86/amd64/sparc: basil ~ # crontab /etc/crontab /etc/crontab must be edited manually basil ~ # echo $? 1
(In reply to comment #12) > More like INVALID imvho. > It's easy to reproduce, just run `crontab /etc/crontab` Except that I never did run crontab /etc/crontab anywhere... ;) So no, anti-foot-shooting support won't solve my problem for sure.
jakub: could you give us the output of $ crontab -u root -l thanks!
# crontab -u root -l # DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE - edit the master and reinstall. # (/tmp/crontab.XXXXvHJCCV installed on Thu Apr 20 18:32:28 2006) # (Cron version V5.0 -- $Id: crontab.c,v 1.12 2004/01/23 18:56:42 vixie Exp $) 0 1 * * sun eclean -C -q packages ; eclean -C -q -d -t1w distfiles
I confirm this bug, with vixie-cron and without running crontab /etc/crontab, only using the default one coming with cronbase. When sci-physics/root is installed, the crontab fills the inbox or creates a dead.letter every 10 minutes with: "root: can't figure out DISPLAY, set it manually" Now if I would be root with a display, I would get a nice ROOT splash screen every 10 min. the crontab calls a "root" command as explained in comment #1. Probably a problem with how vixie-cron handles the root user.
Could anybody, who has this bug to show us the contents of /var/spool/cron/crontabs/root?
(In reply to comment #18) > Could anybody, who has this bug to show us the contents of > /var/spool/cron/crontabs/root? Hmm? Same as in Comment #16
(In reply to comment #18) > Could anybody, who has this bug to show us the contents of > /var/spool/cron/crontabs/root? > I have this bug, my /var/spool/cron/crontabs/root is pasted below. I emerged vixie-cron according to the Gentoo Handbook, and then never touched any of its files. I only found out about this when I got the mail command working and started receiving an error email every 10 minutes. $ sudo cat /var/spool/cron/crontabs/root # DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE - edit the master and reinstall. # (/etc/crontab installed on Thu Oct 4 13:02:00 2007) # (Cron version V5.0 -- $Id: crontab.c,v 1.12 2004/01/23 18:56:42 vixie Exp $) # for vixie cron # # $Header: /var/cvsroot/gentoo-x86/sys-process/vixie-cron/files/crontab-3.0.1-r4,v 1.1 2005/03/04 23:59:48 ciaranm Exp $ # # # Global variables SHELL=/bin/bash PATH=/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin MAILTO=root HOME=/ # check scripts in cron.hourly, cron.daily, cron.weekly and cron.monthly 0 * * * * root rm -f /var/spool/cron/lastrun/cron.hourly 1 3 * * * root rm -f /var/spool/cron/lastrun/cron.daily 15 4 * * 6 root rm -f /var/spool/cron/lastrun/cron.weekly 30 5 1 * * root rm -f /var/spool/cron/lastrun/cron.monthly */10 * * * * root test -x /usr/sbin/run-crons && /usr/sbin/run-crons
Lane, thanks for your comment. There is nothing wrong with vixie's system crontab. Your problem is caused by someone (or something) running 'crontab /etc/crontab' as root, i.e. loading the system crontab as a user's crontab, in this case root's crontab. This should not be done as clearly documented. FYI, the attached patch that allows vixie to error out on 'crontab /etc/crontab' is included in the -r10 ebuild but not in the -r9 one. Run `crontab -r` as root to clean up your system. vixie-cron uses /etc/crontab automatically. Hth
well - the default vixie-cron system crontab is not wrong. anybody disagreeing should be opening a new bug (as this one is confusing as hell).
