1FCRONTAB(1) FCRONTAB(1)
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6 fcrontab - manipulate per-user fcrontab files
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9 fcrontab [ -c file ] [ -n ] file [ user | -u user ]
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12 fcrontab [ -c file ] [ -n ] { -l | -r | -e | -z } [ user | -u user ]
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15 fcrontab [ -h ]
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19 Fcrontab is the program intended to install, edit, list and remove the
20 tables used by fcron(8) daemon. As fcron internally uses a non-human
21 readable format (this is needed because fcron saves more informations
22 than the user gives, for example the time and date of next execution),
23 the user cannot edit directly his fcrontab (the one used by fcron).
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25 When a user installs a fcrontab, the source file is saved in the spool
26 directory (/usr/local/var/spool/fcron) to allow future editions, and a
27 formatted file is generated for the fcron daemon, which is signaled
28 once about ten seconds before the next minute for all changes made pre‐
29 viously. The daemon is not informed of the changes immediately but at
30 most once a minute to keep ill disposed users from blocking the daemon
31 by installing fcrontabs over and over (ie. denial of service attack).
32 We will call "fcrontab" the source file of the fcrontab in the follow‐
33 ing.
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35 A user can install a fcrontab if he is listed in the
36 /usr/local/etc/fcron.allow and not (unless by the keyword all) listed
37 in /usr/local/etc/fcron.deny (see section "files" below). If neither
38 fcron.allow nor fcron.deny exist, all users are allowed. None of these
39 files have to exist, but if they do, the deny file takes precedence.
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41 The first form of the command is used to install a new fcrontab file,
42 from any named file or from standard input if the pseudo-filename "-"
43 is given, replacing the previous one (if any): each user can have only
44 one fcrontab.
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46 For instance, root can create a systemwide fcrontab file, say
47 /etc/fcrontab, and run "fcrontab /etc/fcrontab" to install the new ver‐
48 sion after each change of the file. Or (s)he can create a new fcrontab
49 running a simple "fcrontab", and then maintain it using "fcrontab -e".
50 Same considerations apply to a non privileged user.
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53 -u user
54 Specify the user whose fcrontab will be managed, or "systab" for
55 the system fcrontab. Should only be used by root. If not given,
56 the fcrontab file of the user invoking fcrontab will be handled.
57 It may be useful since the su(8) command may confuse fcrontab.
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59 Note: the 'user' in the synopsys is equivalent to a '-u user'.
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61 -l List user's current fcrontab to standard output.
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63 -e Edit user's current fcrontab using either the editor specified
64 by the environment variable VISUAL, or EDITOR if VISUAL is not
65 set. If none or them are set, /usr/bin/vi will be used.
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67 -r Remove user's fcrontab.
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69 -z Reinstall user's fcrontab from its source code. All informations
70 fcron may have kept in the binary fcrontab (such as the last
71 execution time and date) will be forgotten (ie. lost).
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73 -n Ignore previous version. If this option is not given, fcron will
74 try to keep as much information as possible between old and new
75 version of the fcrontab (time and date of next execution, if job
76 is in serial queue, etc) if the line hasn't been modified (same
77 fields, same shell command).
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79 -c file
80 Make fcrontab use config file file instead of default config
81 file /usr/local/etc/fcron.conf. To interact with a running fcron
82 process, fcrontab must use the same config file as the process.
83 That way, several fcron processes can run simultaneously on an
84 only system.
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86 -d Run in debug mode. In this mode, many informational messages
87 will be output in order to check if anything went wrong.
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89 -h Display a brief description of the options.
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91 -V Display an informational message about fcrontab, including its
92 version and the license under which it is distributed.
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95 Fcrontab returns 0 on normal exit and 1 on error.
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98 Should be POSIX compliant.
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101 /usr/local/etc/fcron.conf
102 Configuration file for fcron, fcrontab and fcrondyn: contains
103 paths (spool dir, pid file) and default programs to use (editor,
104 shell, etc). See fcron.conf(5) for more details.
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106 /usr/local/etc/fcron.allow
107 Users allowed to use fcrontab and fcrondyn (one name per line,
108 special name "all" acts for everyone)
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110 /usr/local/etc/fcron.deny
111 Users who are not allowed to use fcrontab and fcrondyn (same
112 format as allow file)
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114 /usr/local/etc/pam.d/fcron (or /usr/local/etc/pam.conf)
115 PAM configuration file for fcron. Take a look at pam(8) for more
116 details.
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119 fcrontab(1),
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121 fcrondyn(1),
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123 fcrontab(5),
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125 fcron.conf(5),
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127 fcron(8).
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129 If you're learning how to use fcron from scratch, I suggest that you
130 read the HTML version of the documentation (if your are not reading it
131 right now! :) ): the content is the same, but it is easier to navigate
132 thanks to the hyperlinks.
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135 Thibault Godouet <fcron@free.fr>
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13903/03/2010 03 mars 2010 FCRONTAB(1)