xref: /freebsd/usr.sbin/cron/doc/README (revision fe590ffe40f49fe09d8275fbf29f0d46c5b99dc7)
1#/* Copyright 1988,1990,1993 by Paul Vixie <paul@vix.com>
2# * All rights reserved
3# */
4
5## Copyright (c) 1997 by Internet Software Consortium.
6##
7## Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software for any
8## purpose with or without fee is hereby granted, provided that the above
9## copyright notice and this permission notice appear in all copies.
10##
11## THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND INTERNET SOFTWARE CONSORTIUM DISCLAIMS
12## ALL WARRANTIES WITH REGARD TO THIS SOFTWARE INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES
13## OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS. IN NO EVENT SHALL INTERNET SOFTWARE
14## CONSORTIUM BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL
15## DAMAGES OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE, DATA OR
16## PROFITS, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER TORTIOUS
17## ACTION, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS
18## SOFTWARE.
19
20Vixie Cron V4.0 - September 7, 1997
21[V3.1 was some time after 1993]
22[V3.0 was December 27, 1993]
23[V2.2 was some time in 1992]
24[V2.1 was May 29, 1991]
25[V2.0 was July 5, 1990]
26[V2.0-beta was December 9, 1988]
27[V1.0 was May 6, 1987]
28Paul Vixie
29
30This is a version of 'cron' that is known to run on most systems.  It
31is functionally based on the SysV cron, which means that each user can have
32their own crontab file (all crontab files are stored in a read-protected
33directory, usually /var/cron/tabs).  No direct support is provided for
34'at'; you can continue to run 'atrun' from the crontab as you have been
35doing.  If you don't have atrun (i.e., System V) you are in trouble.
36
37A messages is logged each time a command is executed; also, the files
38"allow" and "deny" in /var/cron can be used to control access to the
39"crontab" command (which installs crontabs).  It hasn't been tested on
40SysV, although some effort has gone into making the port an easy one.
41
42To use this: Sorry, folks, there is no cutesy 'Configure' script.  You'll
43have to go edit a couple of files... So, here's the checklist:
44
45	Read all the FEATURES, INSTALL, and CONVERSION files
46	Edit config.h
47	Edit Makefile
48		(both of these files have instructions inside; note that
49		 some things in config.h are definable in Makefile and are
50		 therefore surrounded by #ifndef...#endif)
51	'make'
52	'su' and 'make install'
53		(you may have to install the man pages by hand)
54	kill your existing cron process
55		(actually you can run your existing cron if you want, but why?)
56	build new crontabs using /usr/lib/{crontab,crontab.local}
57		(either put them all in "root"'s crontab, or divide it up
58		 and rip out all the 'su' commands, collapse the lengthy
59		 lists into ranges with steps -- basically, this step is
60		 as much work as you want to make it)
61	start up the new cron
62		(must be done as root)
63	watch it. test it with 'crontab -r' and watch the daemon track your
64		changes.
65	if you like it, change your /etc/{rc,rc.local} to use it instead of
66		the old one.
67
68$Id: README,v 1.2 1998/08/14 00:32:35 vixie Exp $
69