[gentoo-announce] New Cron Layout

[gentoo-announce] New Cron Layout

[Thilo Bangert]

Hi,

I have just unmasked

 sys-apps/cronbase-0.01
 sys-apps/dcron-2.7-r9
 sys-apps/fcron-2.0.0-r1
 sys-apps/vcron-3.0.1-r1

Users of

 sys-apps/dcron
 sys-apps/fcron (or app-admin/fcron )
 sys-apps/vcron

should read the following before updating to the new cron layout.


Features
--------

The new cron layout incorporates the following features:

  - to be able to use cron, a user must be part of the "cron" group.

  - cron spool files are located at /var/spool/cron/ for all cron's

  - all crons run /etc/cron.{hourly|daily|weekly|monthly} (fcron and
    dcron users see notice below).

  - all crons PROVIDE=virtual/cron and future ebuilds will make use of
    this. Ebuild developers are encourged to use it where applicable.

  - max one cron per system.

  - dcron is the Gentoo Linux "default" (ie. dcron gets installed if
    something depends on virtual/cron and no cron has been installed
    yet).


Upgrade instructions
--------------------

sys-apps/dcron:

  NOTE: fcron has been moved from the app-admin category to the
        sys-apps category.

  to install the new dcron, do
  # emerge --pretend sys-apps/dcron
  # emerge sys-apps/dcron

  NOTE: to make use of /etc/cron.{hourly|daily|weekly|monthly} the root
        crontab must include the contents of /etc/crontab.

  # crontab /etc/crontab

  !! This will REPLACE root's current crontab !!


sys-apps/fcron:

  to install the new fcron, do
  # emerge --pretend sys-apps/fcron
  # emerge sys-apps/fcron

  The default location for crontabs for fcron has been changed to
  /var/spool/cron/fcrontabs. To make use of previous crontabs, copy
  them to the new location. Make sure your new /etc/fcron/fcron.conf
  reflects this.

  NOTE: to make use of /etc/cron.{hourly|daily|weekly|monthly} the root
        crontab must include the contents of /etc/crontab.

  # crontab /etc/crontab

  !! This will REPLACE root's current crontab !!

  NEW: To be able to use cron as a user, the user must be part of the
       "cron" group.


sys-apps/vcron:

  to install the new vcron, do
  # emerge --pretend sys-apps/vcron
  # emerge sys-apps/vcron

  NEW: To be able to use cron as a user, the user must be part of the
       "cron" group.


Although the new layout has been tested, bugs may be present.
Please report them on http://bugs.gentoo.org and assign them
to bangert@gentoo.org.

Thank you.

kind regards

Thilo Bangert
<bangert@gentoo.org>