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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxn!ihnp4!cbosgd!osu-eddie!bgsuvax!schaefer
From: schaefer@bgsuvax.UUCP (Stephen Schaefer)
Newsgroups: net.unix-wizards,net.bugs.4bsd
Subject: Cron won't run csh scripts
Message-ID: <669@bgsuvax.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 25-Jul-85 11:59:03 EDT
Article-I.D.: bgsuvax.669
Posted: Thu Jul 25 11:59:03 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 27-Jul-85 03:12:09 EDT
Organization: Bowling Green State University, OH
Lines: 63
Xref: watmath net.unix-wizards:14015 net.bugs.4bsd:1625

We  run  4.2BSD  on  a  VAX  11/785, with source code licenses.  Our csh
scripts run correctly when run by root from a command shell, but do  not
run  correctly when run by cron.  Sh scripts *do* run correctly when run
by cron.  Csh scripts run from cron do nothing (so far)  which  produces
side  effects other than to be entered into the acct file as having been
run by root and taken 0 seconds (according to lastcomm).  I  have  tried
many  variations  on  the  permissions,  ownership  and  the  manner  of
invocation, including cron lines like

* * * * * /usr/local/test.csh
* * * * * /bin/csh /usr/local/test.csh

I've  also tried redirecting the stdin and stdout on the invocation line
to the console, in case csh  demands  those  be  attached  to  something
(un?)reasonable, but no change, and I doubt that to be the problem.  The
test script which I've been using consists of

#! /bin/csh
echo 'set >> /tmp/sps1' > /tmp/sps1
set >> /tmp/sps1
echo >> /tmp/sps1
echo 'printenv >> /tmp/sps1' >> /tmp/sps1
printenv >> /tmp/sps1

So far, I've had to assume that the variables and environment variables are
the default.  I looked at the cron source, and it starts the process up with
a line like

	execl("/bin/sh", "sh", "-c", s, 0);

where  s  is  a pointer to a string containing the invocation line, less
the startup time symbols.  I've gone so far  as  to  try  to  start  the
script  indirectly  with  an  executable  program like this Bourne shell
script:

exec /usr/local/test.csh

or even this compiled C program:

main()
{
	execl("/usr/local/test.csh", "test.csh", 0);
}

In  every case, it works correctly when run by root from a command shell
(both csh and sh work) but not when initiated by cron.  I'm  now  asking
for  help  from  the community.  If there is sufficient interest, I will
post the solution.

I may be reached at:

UUCP:	....!cbosgd!osu-eddie!bgsuvax!schaefer
CSNET:	schaefer@bgsuvax.CSNET

Many thanks in advance,
	Stephen P. Schaefer

P.S.
	I don't mind people MAILING me flames about csh, but  let's  not
waste everyone's time with them?

"If you are made to wait, it is only to serve you better."
	- quoted in "The Mythical Man Month" by F. P. Brooks.