Re: [cobalt-developers] Raq 4 scheduled backup using ftp , set start time ?

["Steve Werby" <steve-lists@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

"Jeff Lasman" <jblists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Okay, if I reword it to say "Most of us who administer Cobalt RaQs
> create scripts in the /etc/cron.* directories, and use /etc/crontab to
> get to run them" is that reasonable?

Jeff, I think if you're saying that most people whose *nix experience is
limited to Cobalt servers use the system crontab handled by /etc/crontab
then I'm with you.  But my guess is most are doing so because they notice
that all of Cobalt's automated scripts are handled by /etc/crontab and
either don't realize there are user crontabs or don't understand their
purpose.  And there *is* a purpose for the user crontabs.

> I know I do it, and just about
> everyone I've discussed it with does it that way.

Maybe you're not talking with the right people.  :p

> On all the systems I've ever administered for hosting companies and
> ISPs, we've always set up all the cron jobs ourselves, and always using
> /etc/crontab.

Apparently, none of these companies you've worked with allow users to setup
their own cron jobs.  Or if they do, they have some sort of mechanism for
users to submit cron jobs and feed them to a script (or person) which writes
a nice line for /etc/crontab and drops the script in the system crontab.  In
any case, I work with a lot of ISPs and hosting companies myself and when I
need to schedule a job on one of their boxes I use the crontab that's the
best fit for the situation.  Based on my own criteria of what makes the most
sense, more often than not it's the user crontab system.  Maybe my needs and
criteria are not the norm.  Much of the software I build involves a lot of
shell scripting and automated jobs do crunch numbers for front-end tools,
generate reports, analyze data, etc. so cron jobs are an integral part of my
daily routine.

> I suppose for more traditional unix/linux uses and users, you're
> absolutely right.
>
> Do you think the method you document is used by hosting companies as
> well?

Absolutely.  I couldn't tell you how many use one method over the other or
use some combination of the two, but there are definitely hosting companies
using the user crontabs.  And I've been in plenty of boxes of hosting
companies and I've talked to quite a few folks who run hosting companies and
offer user crons to their clients.  I was going to say I've talked to *a
lot* of people running hosting companies that do, but honestly when I talk
to folks running hosting companies "do you offer user crons?" and "which
cron system do you use?" are pretty far down my list of questions.  <g>

--
Steve Werby
President, Befriend Internet Services LLC
http://www.befriend.com/