Making Cronjobs More Dynamic with Wrapper Scripts
By
0928374082
The kind of bagel that ruins lesser bagels for you.
Summary
The article discusses a technique for making cronjobs more dynamic and flexible by using wrapper scripts that can conditionally execute tasks based on various criteria. The author shares their experience with cronjobs since the early 2000s and explains how while cron is powerful for scheduling recurring tasks, it lacks dynamic decision-making capabilities. The solution presented involves creating wrapper scripts that check conditions before executing the actual task, allowing for more intelligent scheduling like running tasks only on specific days, during certain hours, or based on system conditions.
Key quotes
· 4 pulledI remember learning about cronjobs in the early 2000s. I could tell the computer to go do something, on a recurring basis, forever, even when I wasn't there. They felt like magic!
But while you could do fun, complex specifications of recurring intervals, you couldn't quite specify something quite as dynamic as 'run this script every Tuesday at 7am unless it's the last Tuesday of the month'
The trick is to use a wrapper script that checks some condition before deciding whether to run the actual task
This approach gives you much more flexibility than cron alone can provide
You might also wanna read
Kula: Lightweight Self-Contained Linux Server Monitoring Tool
Kula is a lightweight, self-contained Linux server monitoring tool that collects system metrics directly from /proc and /sys filesystems. It
github.com·2mo ago
Cronboard: Terminal Dashboard for Managing Cron Jobs on Local and Remote Servers
Cronboard is a terminal-based dashboard application for managing cron jobs on both local and remote servers. The tool allows users to check,
github.com·3mo ago
HC (History Collector): Centralized Shell History Management for Distributed Server Fleets
HC (History Collector) is a lightweight service designed to centralize shell history from distributed server fleets into a SQL backend. It a
github.com·4mo agoGuide to Setting Up a Small Self-Managed Kubernetes Cluster on NixOS
The article details a technical guide for setting up a small, self-managed Kubernetes cluster on NixOS. The author, experienced with managed
Immutable Software Deployments Using ZFS Snapshots and FreeBSD Jails
This technical article demonstrates how to implement immutable software deployments using FreeBSD's ZFS snapshots and jails. It provides a s
conradresearch.com·6mo ago
How to Set Up an Apache Reverse Proxy for an Ecommerce Website
This article provides a comprehensive, start-to-finish guide on setting up an Apache reverse proxy specifically for ecommerce websites. It c
blog.radwebhosting.com·2d ago