dh_installcron - Linux

Overview

dh_installcron manages cron job installation during Debian package building. It handles:

• Installing the default crontab file
• Updating the crontab file with new entries
• Removing entries from the crontab file

Syntax

dh_installcron [options] <source> [<dest>]

Options/Flags

• -a, –add: Add the entries to the existing crontab file. The default behavior is to overwrite the existing file.
• -r, –remove: Remove the entries from the existing crontab file.
• -f, –force: Force the installation or removal of the entries.

Examples

Install a default crontab file:

dh_installcron /etc/crontab

Add entries to the existing crontab file:

dh_installcron -a /etc/cron.d/mycronjob

Remove entries from the existing crontab file:

dh_installcron -r /etc/cron.d/mycronjob

Common Issues

Missing cron daemon: If the cron daemon is not running, the cron job entries will not be installed or executed. Ensure that the cron daemon is installed and running.

Integration

Using with other commands:

• Use dh_installcron with make to install crontab files during package build:

make install-cronjobs: dh_installcron -a /etc/crontab

Related Commands

• crontab: Manage cron jobs
• debian/rules: Debian package build rules
• dh_make: Debian package build helper