CRON: /bin/bash: root: command not found
Stefan Davids
> I have a problem with one of my linux machines. I've installed Red Hat
> 4.2, the same version as my other three computers, but in this
> computer it sends a message to the root each minute saying "root:
> command not found". I tried to remove the error line, and the error
> jumps to the next crontab line. Why? :D
<snip>
> My cron sends this message:
>
> ----------------------
> From: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Cron Daemon)
<snip>
> /bin/bash: root: command not found
> --------------
>
> My crontab lines are:
> ---------------
> SHELL=/bin/bash
> PATH=/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin
> MAILTO=root
>
> # Run any at jobs every minute
> * * * * * root [ -x /usr/sbin/atrun ] && /usr/sbin/atrun
You don't want `root' in there. On my system, at least, anything in
/etc/crontab will run as root automatically; if you want to run it as
another user use su user -c in the relevant script.
Stefan
Brian McCauley
> I have a problem with one of my linux machines. I've installed Red Hat
> 4.2, the same version as my other three computers, but in this
> computer it sends a message to the root each minute saying "root:
> command not found". I tried to remove the error line, and the error
> jumps to the next crontab line. Why? :D
There are two alternative formats for crontab used by different
implementations of cron. One format has a username field the other
does not. You have a crontab with a username field and a cron program
that uses the format without.
I do not use RH so I can't say how you got into this situation.
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Bill Unruh
]I have a problem with one of my linux machines. I've installed Red Hat
]4.2, the same version as my other three computers, but in this
]computer it sends a message to the root each minute saying "root:
]command not found". I tried to remove the error line, and the error
]jumps to the next crontab line. Why? :D
]Subject: Cron <root@xxxxxx> root [ -x /usr/sbin/atrun ] &&
]/usr/sbin/atrun
]/bin/bash: root: command not found
]--------------
]* * * * * root [ -x /usr/sbin/atrun ] && /usr/sbin/atrun
The rest of the line after the first 5 fields is the command. Your
command is "root" What command is root? bash is unable to find any
command called root. Thus the eroor message.1