Re: [vox-tech] Cron Confusion

[jdMAPSnewmil@dcn.davis.ca.us]

On Thu, 30 Nov 2000, Micah Cowan wrote:

> On Thu, Nov 30, 2000 at 12:52:05PM -0800, Robert G. Scofield wrote:
> > jdnewmil@dcn.davis.ca.us wrote:

[...]

> > > Use "crontab -e" or you will mess up cron.  If you are root, this will
> > > have the effect of editing /etc/crontab.
> > 
> > Okay, here's another question.  If I log in as root and do crontab -l, I get
> > the message that there is no crontab for root.  I do have an /etc/crontab file
> > however.  When I execute crontab -e I do not end up in /etc/crontab.  Is it
> > therefore okay if I edit /etc/crontab with vim?  I've got Red Hat 6.1.

> I've never done it any other way than by editing /etc/crontab byhand.  
> Messing up cron isn't nearly as dangerous as messing up inittab.  If
> something goes wrong, root will hear of it.

You are right, Micah.  I should have re-read the manpage myself first.
crontab -e is for user crontabs, including
/var/run/tabs/root.  /etc/crontab is managed without crontab.

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