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Bug 609544

Summary: Defining a job in crontab requires a username to be defined
Product: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 Reporter: Martin Prpič <mprpic>
Component: crontabsAssignee: Marcela Mašláňová <mmaslano>
Status: CLOSED ERRATA QA Contact: qe-baseos-daemons
Severity: medium Docs Contact:
Priority: low    
Version: 6.0CC: akrherz, azelinka, notting, ovasik, pkovar, psklenar, rvokal
Target Milestone: rcKeywords: Reopened
Target Release: ---   
Hardware: All   
OS: Linux   
Whiteboard:
Fixed In Version: Doc Type: Bug Fix
Doc Text:
Prior to this update, an example included in the /etc/crontab file contained an omission. It did not state that defining a job in crontab requires a username to be defined. The missing information has been added to the /etc/crontab file in this update.
Story Points: ---
Clone Of: Environment:
Last Closed: 2011-06-15 12:17:54 UTC Type: ---
Regression: --- Mount Type: ---
Documentation: --- CRM:
Verified Versions: Category: ---
oVirt Team: --- RHEL 7.3 requirements from Atomic Host:
Cloudforms Team: --- Target Upstream Version:
Embargoed:

Description Martin Prpič 2010-06-30 14:48:31 UTC
Description of problem: 
Defining a job in crontab requires a username to be defined even though the man page does not specify so. 


Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):
version: 1.4.4, release: 2.el6

How reproducible:
Happens every time.

Steps to Reproduce:
1. In the crontab file, define a job without specifying the user (for example: * * * * * ls /proc >> /tmp/proc). This should run every minute, every hour, etc.
2. 
3.
  
Actual results:
The job is not completed (example: file /tmp/proc is not created).

Expected results:
The job is completed (example: file /tmp/proc contains data).

Additional info:
The following line appears in the /var/log/cron file: ... crond[1578]: (CRON) bad username (/etc/crontab)

Comment 2 RHEL Program Management 2010-06-30 15:03:18 UTC
This request was evaluated by Red Hat Product Management for inclusion in a Red
Hat Enterprise Linux major release.  Product Management has requested further
review of this request by Red Hat Engineering, for potential inclusion in a Red
Hat Enterprise Linux Major release.  This request is not yet committed for
inclusion.

Comment 3 Bill Nottingham 2010-07-01 19:29:28 UTC
From the man page:

Jobs in /etc/cron.d/
       The  jobs in cron.d are system jobs, which are used usually for more than one
       user. That’s the reason why is name of the user needed. MAILTO on  the  first
       line is optional.

/etc/crontab is the same.

Comment 6 Marcela Mašláňová 2010-07-02 13:45:13 UTC
I suppose rewrite of man page in more comprehensible way couldn't hurt.

Comment 8 Marcela Mašláňová 2011-02-03 15:06:56 UTC
Man-pages were rewritten in upstream, but this bug is in configuration file, which should be resolved in regular update.

Comment 9 RHEL Program Management 2011-02-15 09:38:05 UTC
This request was evaluated by Red Hat Product Management for
inclusion in the current release of Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
Because the affected component is not scheduled to be updated
in the current release, Red Hat is unfortunately unable to
address this request at this time. Red Hat invites you to
ask your support representative to propose this request, if
appropriate and relevant, in the next release of Red Hat
Enterprise Linux. If you would like it considered as an
exception in the current release, please ask your support
representative.

Comment 11 Marcela Mašláňová 2011-02-17 15:28:42 UTC
There was request to fix example in /etc/crontab if I understand correctly to bug report. This configuration file is a part of crontabs, not cronie. Reassigning to correct component and cleaning flags.

Comment 12 Marcela Mašláňová 2011-02-18 09:04:34 UTC
*** Bug 671380 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

Comment 18 errata-xmlrpc 2011-06-15 12:17:54 UTC
An advisory has been issued which should help the problem
described in this bug report. This report is therefore being
closed with a resolution of ERRATA. For more information
on therefore solution and/or where to find the updated files,
please follow the link below. You may reopen this bug report
if the solution does not work for you.

http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHBA-2011-0872.html

Comment 19 Petr Kovar 2011-06-15 15:33:24 UTC
    Technical note added. If any revisions are required, please edit the "Technical Notes" field
    accordingly. All revisions will be proofread by the Engineering Content Services team.
    
    New Contents:
Prior to this update, an example included in the /etc/crontab file contained an omission. It did not state that defining a job in crontab requires a username to be defined. The missing information has been added to the /etc/crontab file in this update.