Configure crontab

[nverhoye]

Hi, i'm trying to configure a task in crontab

File : /etc/cron/crontab

# m h  dom mon dow  user  command
* * * * * php /app/foo.php

File is correctly copyed when i launch docker-compose, see :

RUN ln -sf /opt/docker/etc/cron/crontab /etc/cron.d/docker-boilerplate \
    && chmod 0644 /opt/docker/etc/cron/crontab \
    && echo >> /opt/docker/etc/cron/crontab \
    && ln -sf /opt/docker/etc/php/development.ini /opt/docker/etc/php/php.ini

But it not works. Also when i laugh manually /app/foo.php it works.

Info : foo.php is a file which write content on another file (log)

Where is the problem please ? Sorry for my bad english. Thanks.

[kyrilg]

Hi @nverhoye, Environments differs between shell and crontab, you can check it with printenv in shell / crontab

https://serverfault.com/questions/337631/crontab-execution-doesnt-have-the-same-environment-variables-as-executing-user

I use approach 2

Try something like this: * * * * * application . ~/.profile; /usr/local/bin/php /app/foo.php

[mblaschke]

we should implement go-crond to get rid of the environment issue :)

[nverhoye]

Hi @kyrilg

Thanks for your reply, but it still does not work unfortunately.

I pushed * * * * * application . ~/.profile; /usr/local/bin/php /app/foo.php

Instead of

# m h  dom mon dow  user  command
* * * * * php /app/foo.php

No result :(

[mblaschke]

please make sure you have an empty line at the end (cron requirement).. otherwise your crontab is ignored, also make sure the permissions are correct and not world writeable.

go-crond will fix this with correct error messages.

[nverhoye]

Hi @mblaschke, i have an empty line at the end (cron requirement), also permissions are correct (0644).

Below crontab used now :

* * * * * application . /home/application/.profile; /bin/bash /app/scheduler_cron.sh --mode always >> /app/cron.log 2>&1
# An empty line is required at the end of this file for a valid cron file.

NOW file is executed, but file can't do works asked. I have message returned : "Could not find a binary for php"

This is content of scheduler_cron.sh :

#!/bin/bash

# Generate an error if any variable doesn't exist
set -o nounset

# Location of the php binary
PHP_BIN=$(which php || true)

if [ -z "${PHP_BIN}" ]; then
    echo "Could not find a binary for php" 1>&2
    exit 1
fi

In cron task "which php" return empty BUT when i'm connected to docker's container it return '/usr/local/bin/php'

See :

docker exec -it app bash
root@03dc0dd62e77:/$ su application
application@03dc0dd62e77:/$ which php
/usr/local/bin/php

Any ideas ? Thanks

[mblaschke]

The environment parameters are not passed to cronjobs. They are filtered by default and AFAIK there is no way to fix this other then replacing the cron daemon.

I will replace cron with gocrond this weeks to get rid of this stupid issue

[nverhoye]

Hi @mblaschke, can you share the solution ? Thanks

[abagayev]

Hey, I just created an example of how to use crontab with webdevops docker-compose, you can check it our here: https://github.com/abagayev/docker-bootstrap-collection/tree/master/crontab-in-container