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 per-
sonal 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 regu-
lar 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
administrators 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 table 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 prepared cron-
tab 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 (kjb@cs.vu.nl)