Running cron as root

[rvforumite]

How do I run cron jobs as root? I don't see a cron tab in WHM, although my user account has it in cPanel.

I've read that some WHM users use ssh to set a cron job. Could someone explain how I do that (I know how to log into ssh and issue commands, but not how to set cron jobs from there).

A big TIA.

Tom

 

[bhd]

to put the cron into root's crontab:

crontab -e

You can also manually add a cron file to any of these directories. All depends what you want to do:
/etc/cron.hourly
/etc/cron.dailyy
/etc/cron.weekly
/etc/cron.monthly
cron.d/

 

[rvforumite]

Thanks BHD. However, I don't see a crontab in WHM for root, although I see one in my user cPanel (I'm both the host and the user, different IDs and passwords).

If I wanted to run this script as a user, this is what I'd put into the crontab, substituting the path and the script name:

15 */1 * * * php -q /path/myscript.php > /dev/null 2>&1

However, I want/need to run it as root. How would I do this from WHM?

 

[rvforumite]

Looks like I missed or misunderstood part of what was said in your reply. I went ahead and created a cron file containing the following and uploaded it to /etc/cron.hourly

# check for xyz every hour
15 */1 * * * php -q /path/xyzcheck.php > /dev/null 2>&1

This doesn't seem to run as a cron job, although it works OK if I run it via ssh.

 

[UBERHOST]

15 */1 * * * php -q /path/myscript.php > /dev/null 2>&1

However, I want/need to run it as root. How would I do this from WHM?

You would actually do it from the shell, not WHM. This is what bhd was recommending. You could login via SSH, switch to root, and do the following:

# cp /etc/crontab /etc/crontab.bak
# nano /etc/crontab

The nano editor opens up with the file crontab loaded. Move to the bottom of the file and paste the following line:

15 */1 * * * root php -q /path/myscript.php > /dev/null 2>&1

Press CTRL+X then press Y to save the file.

Done!

 

[rvforumite]

Thank you very much. I'll give that a try.

 

[bhd]

Thanks BHD. However, I don't see a crontab in WHM for root, although I see one in my user cPanel (I'm both the host and the user, different IDs and passwords).

Sorry about that. I read your comment

I know how to log into ssh and issue commands

and just assumed you would know what I meant

from SSH you would type: crontab -e to edit the cron file for root to do it for a user (if you are root): crontab -e -u username

 

[rvforumite]

No need for apology. Although I know how to log in, I rarely do stuff via ssh, so I'm not that familiar/comfortable with it.

FWIW I downloaded the root crontab file via ftp, added the line I needed, then re-uploaded it. Not the prescribed way to do it, but it seems to work just fine.

Thanks again for all the help.

 

[UBERHOST]

FWIW I downloaded the root crontab file via ftp, added the line I needed, then re-uploaded it. Not the prescribed way to do it, but it seems to work just fine.

Downloading & editing /etc/crontab via SFTP is just fine.