Re: Undocumented keywords in /etc/crontab?

["Steve \"Stevers!\" Coile" <scoile redhat com>]

On Mon, 31 May 1999 taj cyber-wizard com wrote:
[...]
>In the /etc/crontab, the execution timefield is followed by "root
>run-parts" and then a directory. I couldn't find any documentation for
>the "root" or "run-parts" keywords in a crontab. Neither is executable.
>Any ideas what these keywords are doing?

The crontab(5) man page documents the format of /etc/crontab.  The "root"
keyword you're noticing is actually the username under which the command
is to be run.  This is a feature specific to Vixie cron, and only applies
to /etc/crontab (not to user crontabs).

The "run-parts" "keyword" is actually a command: /usr/bin/run-parts.

-- 
Steve Coile               R e d   H a t             Systems Administration
scoile redhat com             S o f t w a r e               (919) 547-0012