CRON/crontab does not log errors?

Milano

4/7/23, 7:14 PM

Is there a way to see if there are any errors when crontab job is executed?

I purposely added a command that returns error so I can check if I'm able to see the error.

*/1 * * * * cd /home/dirthatdoesnotexist && echo "RUNNING" > /tmp/cronlog.log 2>&1

When I call it manually:

milano@milano-desktop:~$ cd /home/dirthatdoesnotexist && echo "RUNNING"
bash: cd: /home/dirthatdoesnotexist: No such file or directory

It returns error as the directory doesn't exist.

But I can't see the error when it's called by CRON.

I checked /tmp/cronlog.log which does not exist. I also checked /var/log/syslog which says that the command has been executed, but it doesn't show the error.

milano@milano-desktop:~$ tail /var/log/syslog

Dec  7 20:12:01 milano-desktop CRON[64936]: (milano) CMD (cd /home/dirthatdoesnotexist && echo "RUNNING" > /tmp/cronlog.log 2>&1)
Dec  7 20:12:01 milano-desktop CRON[64935]: (CRON) info (No MTA installed, discarding output)

Is there a place where the error is logged?

0 + 0

bash

cron

syslog

Milano

4/7/23, 8:00 PM

I checked `cronlog`.. that was a mistypo. I've removed the `> ...` from `crontab` so it's `*/1 * * * * cd /home/dirthatdoesnotexist && echo "RUNNING"` and I still can't see the error so I don't know what you meant by that.

Rinzwind

4/7/23, 8:12 PM

please do not misuse /home/ It is ONLY for users. and also use `>>` to append; `>` will overwrite old log file. The `&&` is only activated on success not on an error. This is probably what you want `*/1 * * * * cd /home/dirthatdoesnotexist >> /tmp/cronlog.log 2>&1 && echo "RUNNING"`

steeldriver

4/7/23, 9:05 PM

You're only redirecting the output/errors of the second command in the conjunction; try *command grouping*: `{ cd /home/dirthatdoesnotexist && echo "RUNNING"; } > /tmp/cronlog.log 2>&1` (a subshell would work as well).