CRONTAB(1) General Commands Manual CRONTAB(1)
NAME
crontab - User crontab manipulation
SYNOPSIS
crontab -c [user] file
crontab -l [user]
crontab -r [user]
crontab -p
DESCRIPTION
The crontab program allows users to manipulate their personal crontab
files. These files are hidden in /usr/spool/crontabs/user where user
is the login name of a given user. The system daemon cron uses these
crontabs, among others, to run tasks that are to be repeated at regular
intervals. See crontab(5) on what a good crontab file should look
like.
Only the superuser can specify a user name to manipulate the crontab of
a given user. Any other user can only touch their own crontab file.
OPTIONS
-c [user] file
Install file as the crontab file of user.
-l [user]
List the crontab file of user to standard output.
-r [user]
Remove the crontab file of user.
-p Tell cron to reload its tables. Useful for system administra-
tors to signal a change to any of the system crontab files.
Changes made by the crontab program are signalled automatically.
(Mnemonic: -p = "ping".)
FILES
/usr/spool/crontabs/user Per user personal crontab file.
SEE ALSO
crontab(5), cron(8).
DIAGNOSTICS
Crontab preparses a new crontab and only installs it if correct. All
errors are sent to standard error, messages about installing a new ta-
ble and telling cron to reload are sent to standard output.
BUGS
Crontab misses a -e option that other implementations of this command
allow one to edit the current crontab and install the result. Seems
quite handy until you try to install a new crontab from an automated
script. That's why this command has a -c option that installs a pre-
pared crontab file. Use
crontab -l >/tmp/tab
${EDITOR-vi} /tmp/tab
crontab -c /tmp/tab
to get the same effect as crontab -e.
AUTHOR
Kees J. Bot (
[email protected])
CRONTAB(1)