# anacrontab

## NAME



           /etc/anacrontab - configuration file for Anacron
    


## DESCRIPTION



           The _/etc/anacrontab_ configuration file describes the jobs
           controlled by anacron(8).  It can contain three types of lines:
           job-description lines, environment assignments, or empty lines.
    
           Job-description lines can have the following format:
    
              period in days   delay in minutes   job-identifier   command
    
           The _period in days_ variable specifies the frequency of execution
           of a job in days.  This variable can be represented by an integer
           or a macro (@daily, @weekly, @monthly), where @daily denotes the
           same value as the integer 1, @weekly the same as 7, and @monthly
           specifies that the job is run once a month, independent on the
           length of the month.
    
           The _delay in minutes_ variable specifies the number of minutes
           anacron waits, if necessary, before executing a job.  This
           variable is represented by an integer where 0 means no delay.
    
           The _job-identifier_ variable specifies a unique name of a job which
           is used in the log files.
    
           The _command_ variable specifies the command to execute.  The
           command can either be a command such as **ls /proc >> /tmp/proc **or a
           command to execute a custom script.
    
           Environment assignment lines can have the following format:
    
              VAR=VALUE
    
           Any spaces around _VAR_ are removed.  No spaces around _VALUE_ are
           allowed (unless you want them to be part of the value).  The
           specified assignment takes effect from the next line until the end
           of the file, or to the next assignment of the same variable.
    
           The _START_HOURS_RANGE_ variable defines an interval (in hours) when
           scheduled jobs can be run.  In case this time interval is missed,
           for example, due to a power down, then scheduled jobs are not
           executed that day.
    
           The _RANDOM_DELAY_ variable denotes the maximum number of minutes
           that will be added to the delay in minutes variable which is
           specified for each job.  A _RANDOM_DELAY_ set to 12 would therefore
           add, randomly, between 0 and 12 minutes to the delay in minutes
           for each job in that particular anacrontab.  When set to 0, no
           random delay is added.
    
           If _MAILTO_ is defined (and non-empty), mail is sent to the
           specified address, otherwise, system user is used.
    
           If _MAILFROM_ is defined (and non-empty), it is used as the envelope
           sender address, otherwise, system user is used.
    
           (Note: Both _MAILFROM_ and _MAILTO_ variables are expanded, so setting
           them as in the following example works as expected:
           MAILFROM=cron-$USER@cron.com ($USER is replaced by the system
           user) )
    
           If _NO_MAIL_OUTPUT_ is defined (and non-empty), the standard output
           and error descriptors of job processes are not redirected and e-
           mailed.
    
           Empty lines are either blank lines, line containing white spaces
           only, or lines with white spaces followed by a '#' followed by an
           arbitrary comment.
    
           You can continue a line onto the next line by adding a '\' at the
           end of it.
    
           In case you want to disable Anacron, add a line with _0anacron_
           which is the name of the script running the Anacron into the
           _/etc/cron.hourly/jobs.deny_ file.
    


## EXAMPLE



           This example shows how to set up an Anacron job similar in
           functionality to _/etc/crontab_ which starts all regular jobs
           between 6:00 and 8:00 _only._  A _RANDOM_DELAY_ which can be 30
           minutes at the most is specified.  Jobs will run serialized in a
           queue where each job is started only after the previous one is
           finished.
    
           # environment variables
           SHELL=/bin/sh
           PATH=/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin
           MAILTO=root
           RANDOM_DELAY=30
           # Anacron jobs will start between 6am and 8am.
           START_HOURS_RANGE=6-8
           # delay will be 5 minutes + RANDOM_DELAY for cron.daily
           1         5    cron.daily          nice run-parts /etc/cron.daily
           7         0    cron.weekly         nice run-parts /etc/cron.weekly
           @monthly  0    cron.monthly        nice run-parts /etc/cron.monthly
    


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