Crontab fails because shell path not found





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I am looking at the failure output of my crontab.



* * * * * user /usr/bin/python3 /home/user/src/code/prod.py


I get the error /bin/sh: 1: caleb: not found.



This corresponds to



X-Cron-Env: <SHELL=/bin/sh>


which is part of the email the crontab sent me. I created the crontab using



crontab -e


All of it looks like a simple setup is there anything that I am missing?










share|improve this question




















  • 3





    When you run crontab -e it is already using your username so there is no need to add your username to the beginning of the command. The only place on the system that you add the username is in the /etc/crontab file.

    – Terrance
    Apr 4 at 14:27











  • @Terrance that fixed my problem. i got my solution from cyberciti.biz/faq/… And I looked at the format and paid no attention to the "for system jobs"

    – caleb baker
    Apr 4 at 14:32




















2















I am looking at the failure output of my crontab.



* * * * * user /usr/bin/python3 /home/user/src/code/prod.py


I get the error /bin/sh: 1: caleb: not found.



This corresponds to



X-Cron-Env: <SHELL=/bin/sh>


which is part of the email the crontab sent me. I created the crontab using



crontab -e


All of it looks like a simple setup is there anything that I am missing?










share|improve this question




















  • 3





    When you run crontab -e it is already using your username so there is no need to add your username to the beginning of the command. The only place on the system that you add the username is in the /etc/crontab file.

    – Terrance
    Apr 4 at 14:27











  • @Terrance that fixed my problem. i got my solution from cyberciti.biz/faq/… And I looked at the format and paid no attention to the "for system jobs"

    – caleb baker
    Apr 4 at 14:32
















2












2








2








I am looking at the failure output of my crontab.



* * * * * user /usr/bin/python3 /home/user/src/code/prod.py


I get the error /bin/sh: 1: caleb: not found.



This corresponds to



X-Cron-Env: <SHELL=/bin/sh>


which is part of the email the crontab sent me. I created the crontab using



crontab -e


All of it looks like a simple setup is there anything that I am missing?










share|improve this question
















I am looking at the failure output of my crontab.



* * * * * user /usr/bin/python3 /home/user/src/code/prod.py


I get the error /bin/sh: 1: caleb: not found.



This corresponds to



X-Cron-Env: <SHELL=/bin/sh>


which is part of the email the crontab sent me. I created the crontab using



crontab -e


All of it looks like a simple setup is there anything that I am missing?







16.04 cron






share|improve this question















share|improve this question













share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited Apr 5 at 3:54









Community

1




1










asked Apr 4 at 14:23









caleb bakercaleb baker

132




132








  • 3





    When you run crontab -e it is already using your username so there is no need to add your username to the beginning of the command. The only place on the system that you add the username is in the /etc/crontab file.

    – Terrance
    Apr 4 at 14:27











  • @Terrance that fixed my problem. i got my solution from cyberciti.biz/faq/… And I looked at the format and paid no attention to the "for system jobs"

    – caleb baker
    Apr 4 at 14:32
















  • 3





    When you run crontab -e it is already using your username so there is no need to add your username to the beginning of the command. The only place on the system that you add the username is in the /etc/crontab file.

    – Terrance
    Apr 4 at 14:27











  • @Terrance that fixed my problem. i got my solution from cyberciti.biz/faq/… And I looked at the format and paid no attention to the "for system jobs"

    – caleb baker
    Apr 4 at 14:32










3




3





When you run crontab -e it is already using your username so there is no need to add your username to the beginning of the command. The only place on the system that you add the username is in the /etc/crontab file.

– Terrance
Apr 4 at 14:27





When you run crontab -e it is already using your username so there is no need to add your username to the beginning of the command. The only place on the system that you add the username is in the /etc/crontab file.

– Terrance
Apr 4 at 14:27













@Terrance that fixed my problem. i got my solution from cyberciti.biz/faq/… And I looked at the format and paid no attention to the "for system jobs"

– caleb baker
Apr 4 at 14:32







@Terrance that fixed my problem. i got my solution from cyberciti.biz/faq/… And I looked at the format and paid no attention to the "for system jobs"

– caleb baker
Apr 4 at 14:32












1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes


















5














If you are using crontab -e that set of Cron tasks runs as the user which crontab -e was executed as - that is, your user user.



Therefore, you should only provide the cron entry WITHOUT the user bits, i.e.:



* * * * * /usr/bin/python3 /home/user/src/code/prod.py


The user definition you were attempting to use should only be used in the system crontab in /etc/crontab and in entries in cron definitions under /etc/cron.d/.






share|improve this answer


























  • Not to nitpick, but the "cron user" probably has /usr/bin in its $PATH. So, * * * * * python3 /home/user/src/code/prod.py will probably work.

    – Seamus
    Apr 4 at 14:56






  • 2





    @Seamus when using crontabs it's generally better to use full paths just to rule out that problem.

    – Thomas Ward
    Apr 4 at 14:58











  • It's redundant... but I suppose that could be considered "generally better", for some. I'm only trying to point out that the "cron user" does have an environment, and it can be determined if it's not known.

    – Seamus
    Apr 4 at 15:02








  • 1





    @Seamus I often have to explain to people why their jobs that run fine from a bash prompt don't work correctly under cron (or Autosys etc.). I tell them that it's best to use the full path to everything they can, and explicitly set PATH= what they want it to be, rather than rely on "probably".

    – Monty Harder
    Apr 4 at 18:24












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1 Answer
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active

oldest

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1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes









active

oldest

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active

oldest

votes









5














If you are using crontab -e that set of Cron tasks runs as the user which crontab -e was executed as - that is, your user user.



Therefore, you should only provide the cron entry WITHOUT the user bits, i.e.:



* * * * * /usr/bin/python3 /home/user/src/code/prod.py


The user definition you were attempting to use should only be used in the system crontab in /etc/crontab and in entries in cron definitions under /etc/cron.d/.






share|improve this answer


























  • Not to nitpick, but the "cron user" probably has /usr/bin in its $PATH. So, * * * * * python3 /home/user/src/code/prod.py will probably work.

    – Seamus
    Apr 4 at 14:56






  • 2





    @Seamus when using crontabs it's generally better to use full paths just to rule out that problem.

    – Thomas Ward
    Apr 4 at 14:58











  • It's redundant... but I suppose that could be considered "generally better", for some. I'm only trying to point out that the "cron user" does have an environment, and it can be determined if it's not known.

    – Seamus
    Apr 4 at 15:02








  • 1





    @Seamus I often have to explain to people why their jobs that run fine from a bash prompt don't work correctly under cron (or Autosys etc.). I tell them that it's best to use the full path to everything they can, and explicitly set PATH= what they want it to be, rather than rely on "probably".

    – Monty Harder
    Apr 4 at 18:24
















5














If you are using crontab -e that set of Cron tasks runs as the user which crontab -e was executed as - that is, your user user.



Therefore, you should only provide the cron entry WITHOUT the user bits, i.e.:



* * * * * /usr/bin/python3 /home/user/src/code/prod.py


The user definition you were attempting to use should only be used in the system crontab in /etc/crontab and in entries in cron definitions under /etc/cron.d/.






share|improve this answer


























  • Not to nitpick, but the "cron user" probably has /usr/bin in its $PATH. So, * * * * * python3 /home/user/src/code/prod.py will probably work.

    – Seamus
    Apr 4 at 14:56






  • 2





    @Seamus when using crontabs it's generally better to use full paths just to rule out that problem.

    – Thomas Ward
    Apr 4 at 14:58











  • It's redundant... but I suppose that could be considered "generally better", for some. I'm only trying to point out that the "cron user" does have an environment, and it can be determined if it's not known.

    – Seamus
    Apr 4 at 15:02








  • 1





    @Seamus I often have to explain to people why their jobs that run fine from a bash prompt don't work correctly under cron (or Autosys etc.). I tell them that it's best to use the full path to everything they can, and explicitly set PATH= what they want it to be, rather than rely on "probably".

    – Monty Harder
    Apr 4 at 18:24














5












5








5







If you are using crontab -e that set of Cron tasks runs as the user which crontab -e was executed as - that is, your user user.



Therefore, you should only provide the cron entry WITHOUT the user bits, i.e.:



* * * * * /usr/bin/python3 /home/user/src/code/prod.py


The user definition you were attempting to use should only be used in the system crontab in /etc/crontab and in entries in cron definitions under /etc/cron.d/.






share|improve this answer















If you are using crontab -e that set of Cron tasks runs as the user which crontab -e was executed as - that is, your user user.



Therefore, you should only provide the cron entry WITHOUT the user bits, i.e.:



* * * * * /usr/bin/python3 /home/user/src/code/prod.py


The user definition you were attempting to use should only be used in the system crontab in /etc/crontab and in entries in cron definitions under /etc/cron.d/.







share|improve this answer














share|improve this answer



share|improve this answer








edited Apr 4 at 15:03

























answered Apr 4 at 14:29









Thomas WardThomas Ward

45.3k23125178




45.3k23125178













  • Not to nitpick, but the "cron user" probably has /usr/bin in its $PATH. So, * * * * * python3 /home/user/src/code/prod.py will probably work.

    – Seamus
    Apr 4 at 14:56






  • 2





    @Seamus when using crontabs it's generally better to use full paths just to rule out that problem.

    – Thomas Ward
    Apr 4 at 14:58











  • It's redundant... but I suppose that could be considered "generally better", for some. I'm only trying to point out that the "cron user" does have an environment, and it can be determined if it's not known.

    – Seamus
    Apr 4 at 15:02








  • 1





    @Seamus I often have to explain to people why their jobs that run fine from a bash prompt don't work correctly under cron (or Autosys etc.). I tell them that it's best to use the full path to everything they can, and explicitly set PATH= what they want it to be, rather than rely on "probably".

    – Monty Harder
    Apr 4 at 18:24



















  • Not to nitpick, but the "cron user" probably has /usr/bin in its $PATH. So, * * * * * python3 /home/user/src/code/prod.py will probably work.

    – Seamus
    Apr 4 at 14:56






  • 2





    @Seamus when using crontabs it's generally better to use full paths just to rule out that problem.

    – Thomas Ward
    Apr 4 at 14:58











  • It's redundant... but I suppose that could be considered "generally better", for some. I'm only trying to point out that the "cron user" does have an environment, and it can be determined if it's not known.

    – Seamus
    Apr 4 at 15:02








  • 1





    @Seamus I often have to explain to people why their jobs that run fine from a bash prompt don't work correctly under cron (or Autosys etc.). I tell them that it's best to use the full path to everything they can, and explicitly set PATH= what they want it to be, rather than rely on "probably".

    – Monty Harder
    Apr 4 at 18:24

















Not to nitpick, but the "cron user" probably has /usr/bin in its $PATH. So, * * * * * python3 /home/user/src/code/prod.py will probably work.

– Seamus
Apr 4 at 14:56





Not to nitpick, but the "cron user" probably has /usr/bin in its $PATH. So, * * * * * python3 /home/user/src/code/prod.py will probably work.

– Seamus
Apr 4 at 14:56




2




2





@Seamus when using crontabs it's generally better to use full paths just to rule out that problem.

– Thomas Ward
Apr 4 at 14:58





@Seamus when using crontabs it's generally better to use full paths just to rule out that problem.

– Thomas Ward
Apr 4 at 14:58













It's redundant... but I suppose that could be considered "generally better", for some. I'm only trying to point out that the "cron user" does have an environment, and it can be determined if it's not known.

– Seamus
Apr 4 at 15:02







It's redundant... but I suppose that could be considered "generally better", for some. I'm only trying to point out that the "cron user" does have an environment, and it can be determined if it's not known.

– Seamus
Apr 4 at 15:02






1




1





@Seamus I often have to explain to people why their jobs that run fine from a bash prompt don't work correctly under cron (or Autosys etc.). I tell them that it's best to use the full path to everything they can, and explicitly set PATH= what they want it to be, rather than rely on "probably".

– Monty Harder
Apr 4 at 18:24





@Seamus I often have to explain to people why their jobs that run fine from a bash prompt don't work correctly under cron (or Autosys etc.). I tell them that it's best to use the full path to everything they can, and explicitly set PATH= what they want it to be, rather than rely on "probably".

– Monty Harder
Apr 4 at 18:24


















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