xref: /freebsd/usr.sbin/cron/doc/README (revision dd41de95a84d979615a2ef11df6850622bf6184e)
1#/* Copyright 1988,1990,1993 by Paul Vixie
2# * All rights reserved
3# *
4# * Distribute freely, except: don't remove my name from the source or
5# * documentation (don't take credit for my work), mark your changes (don't
6# * get me blamed for your possible bugs), don't alter or remove this
7# * notice.  May be sold if buildable source is provided to buyer.  No
8# * warrantee of any kind, express or implied, is included with this
9# * software; use at your own risk, responsibility for damages (if any) to
10# * anyone resulting from the use of this software rests entirely with the
11# * user.
12# *
13# * Send bug reports, bug fixes, enhancements, requests, flames, etc., and
14# * I'll try to keep a version up to date.  I can be reached as follows:
15# * Paul Vixie          <paul@vix.com>          uunet!decwrl!vixie!paul
16# */
17
18Vixie Cron V3.0
19December 27, 1993
20[V2.2 was some time in 1992]
21[V2.1 was May 29, 1991]
22[V2.0 was July 5, 1990]
23[V2.0-beta was December 9, 1988]
24[V1.0 was May 6, 1987]
25Paul Vixie
26
27This is a version of 'cron' that is known to run on BSD 4.[23] systems.  It
28is functionally based on the SysV cron, which means that each user can have
29their own crontab file (all crontab files are stored in a read-protected
30directory, usually /var/cron/tabs).  No direct support is provided for
31'at'; you can continue to run 'atrun' from the crontab as you have been
32doing.  If you don't have atrun (i.e., System V) you are in trouble.
33
34A messages is logged each time a command is executed; also, the files
35"allow" and "deny" in /var/cron can be used to control access to the
36"crontab" command (which installs crontabs).  It hasn't been tested on
37SysV, although some effort has gone into making the port an easy one.
38
39This is more or less the copyright that USENET contributed software usually
40has.  Since ATT couldn't use this version if they had to freely distribute
41source, and since I'd love to see them use it, I'll offer some rediculously
42low license fee just to have them take it.  In the unlikely event that they
43do this, I will continue to support and distribute the pseudo-PD version, so
44please, don't flame me for wanting my work to see a wider distribution.
45
46To use this: Sorry, folks, there is no cutesy 'Configure' script.  You'll
47have to go edit a couple of files... So, here's the checklist:
48
49	Read all the FEATURES, INSTALL, and CONVERSION files
50	Edit config.h
51	Edit Makefile
52		(both of these files have instructions inside; note that
53		 some things in config.h are definable in Makefile and are
54		 therefore surrounded by #ifndef...#endif)
55	'make'
56	'su' and 'make install'
57		(you may have to install the man pages by hand)
58	kill your existing cron process
59		(actually you can run your existing cron if you want, but why?)
60	build new crontabs using /usr/lib/{crontab,crontab.local}
61		(either put them all in "root"'s crontab, or divide it up
62		 and rip out all the 'su' commands, collapse the lengthy
63		 lists into ranges with steps -- basically, this step is
64		 as much work as you want to make it)
65	start up the new cron
66		(must be done as root)
67	watch it. test it with 'crontab -r' and watch the daemon track your
68		changes.
69	if you like it, change your /etc/{rc,rc.local} to use it instead of
70		the old one.
71
72$FreeBSD$
73