To schedule scripts using cron in Bash, you can follow these steps:
- Open the crontab editor: Run the following command to open the crontab editor:
crontab -e
If you’re using this command for the first time, it will prompt you to choose an editor.
- Add a cron job entry: In the crontab editor, add a new line to specify the schedule and the script to be executed. The general format of a cron job entry is as follows:
* * * * * command_to_be_executed
The five * symbols represent the time and date fields for scheduling. Each field corresponds to minute, hour, day of the month, month, and day of the week, respectively. You can use specific values or use wildcards (*) to match all values.
For example, to schedule a script to run every day at 8:00 AM, you can add the following entry:
0 8 * * * /path/to/script.sh
3. Save and exit the crontab editor: Save your changes and exit the crontab editor.
4. Verify the cron job: You can verify that the cron job is set up correctly by listing the current crontab entries:
crontab -l
This command will display the current cron job entries.
Your script will now be executed automatically according to the specified schedule. Make sure the script is executable (chmod +x script.sh) and the file path is correct in the cron job entry.
Note that cron uses the system time and timezone settings. Ensure that the system time and timezone are correctly configured for the desired scheduling.
By utilizing cron, you can automate the execution of Bash scripts at specific intervals or schedules, allowing you to perform regular tasks or maintain a predefined workflow.