Re: cron error messages

[Bob McClure Jr <robertmcclure earthlink net>]

On Mon, Nov 10, 2003 at 01:43:27PM +1100, Graeme Nichols wrote:
> On Mon, 2003-11-10 at 13:36, Bob McClure Jr wrote:
> > On Mon, Nov 10, 2003 at 12:25:15PM +1100, Graeme Nichols wrote:
> > > Hello Bob McClure and others,
> > > 
> > > I am getting a lot of these messages in my mail and I don't understand
> > > them. I have looked at the perl script mrtg and the mrtg.cfg files but
> > > line 1 doesn't have what the mail message appears to be complaining
> > > about. Line 1 is a comment. The mail message is as follows:
> > > 
> > > begin mail message------------------------
> > > 
> > > -- Date: Sat, 8 Nov 2003 11:50:01 +1100
> > > From: Cron Daemon <root localhost localdomain>
> > > To: root localhost localdomain
> > > Subject: Cron <graeme localhost> root /usr/bin/mrtg /etc/mrtg/mrtg.cfg
> > 
> > The Subject line, above indicates this is a result of one of the
> > entries in your personal (graeme localhost) crontab.  To look at it:
> > 
> >   crontab -l # as your mere mortal "graeme"
> > 
> > If that's not in there, then look at the scripts it executes and see
> > if something like that is in one of them.
> > 
> > > /bin/bash: line 1: root: command not found
> > > 
> > > end mail message----------------------
> > > 
> > > Can anyone tell me what is going on?
> > 
> > My really wild guess is that you intended to have a line in your
> > crontab, maybe something like
> > 
> >   mm hh * * * su - root /usr/bin/mrtg /etc/mrtg/mrtg.cfg
> > 
> > But what you have is
> > 
> >   mm hh * * * su -; root /usr/bin/mrtg /etc/mrtg/mrtg.cfg
> > 
> > and you shouldn't have that ";" in there.  That's a command
> > separator.  Actually, that wouldn't even work.  That's just a
> > contrived example of what could go wrong.
> > 
> > To change your crontab, do
> > 
> >   crontab -e
> > 
> > If you don't like the default vi for an editor, set or change the
> > EDITOR environment variable to something friendlier like "pico" or
> > something more powerful like "emacs".
> > 
> > Excuse me while I go don my Nomex duds.
> > 
> > > btw, I have root's mail redirected to my mail box.
> > 
> > And well you should.
> > 
> > > Kind regards,
> > > 
> > > Graeme Nichols
> > > 
> > > ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> > > You teach best what you most need to learn.
> > 
> > Amen.
> > 
> > Cheers,
> > -- 
> > Bob McClure, Jr.             Bobcat Open Systems, Inc.
> > robertmcclure earthlink net  http://www.bobcatos.com
> > God answers prayers, not advice.
> 
> Thanks Bob, much appreciated. Will check it and fix it now.

Let us know what it is (was).  I'm curious.  (Not that we want to
embarrass you. ;-)

> -- 
> 
> Kind regards,
> 
> Graeme Nichols

Cheers,
-- 
Bob McClure, Jr.             Bobcat Open Systems, Inc.
robertmcclure earthlink net  http://www.bobcatos.com
God answers prayers, not advice.