cron - Usage
crontab x default text editor
crontab -e
Benefit of using crontab with default editor
1. Syntax Validation
Checks the syntax of the crontab entries to ensure they are correctly formatted. This helps prevent mistakes that could lead to unintended consequences or errors.
2. File Locking
The crontab command handles file locking to ensure that multiple users cannot simultaneously edit the crontab file, reducing the risk of conflicts.
3. Reloads the Cron Daemon
When you update the crontab using the crontab command, it automatically notifies the cron daemon about the changes. This ensures that the new schedule takes effect immediately without needing to restart the cron daemon.
4. Permissions and Security
The crontab command performs permission checks to ensure that only authorized users can modify the crontab. This is crucial for system security.
Directly editing the crontab file manually using a text editor (without using crontab command) is discouraged and can lead to problems, such as syntax errors, file locking issues, or incorrect permissions. If you make mistakes in the crontab file, it could potentially cause cron jobs to fail or not execute as intended.
crontab x file
Schedule command maintain from provided file
crontab -u $USER <file>