source: general/sysutils/fcron.xml@ 4dd95d9

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<!DOCTYPE sect1 PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook XML V4.3//EN"
   "http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/4.3/docbookx.dtd" [
  <!ENTITY % general-entities SYSTEM "../../general.ent">
  %general-entities;

<!ENTITY fcron-download-http "http://fcron.free.fr/archives/fcron-&fcron-version;.src.tar.gz">
<!ENTITY fcron-download-ftp "ftp://ftp.seul.org/pub/fcron/fcron-&fcron-version;.src.tar.gz">
<!ENTITY fcron-size "390 KB">
<!ENTITY fcron-buildsize "3.4 MB">
<!ENTITY fcron-time "0.10 SBU">
]>

<sect1 id="fcron" xreflabel="Fcron-&fcron-version;">
<sect1info>
<othername>$LastChangedBy$</othername>
<date>$Date$</date>
</sect1info>
<?dbhtml filename="fcron.html"?>
<title><application>Fcron</application>-&fcron-version;</title>

<sect2>
<title>Introduction to <application>Fcron</application></title>

<para>The <application>Fcron</application> package contains a periodical
command scheduler which aims at replacing <application>Vixie
Cron</application>.</para>

<sect3><title>Package information</title>
<itemizedlist spacing='compact'>
<listitem><para>Download (HTTP): 
<ulink url="&fcron-download-http;"/></para></listitem>
<listitem><para>Download (FTP): 
<ulink url="&fcron-download-ftp;"/></para></listitem>
<listitem><para>Download size: &fcron-size;</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>Estimated disk space required: 
&fcron-buildsize;</para></listitem>
<listitem><para>Estimated build time: 
&fcron-time;</para></listitem></itemizedlist>
</sect3>

<sect3><title><application>Fcron</application> dependencies</title>
<sect4><title>Optional</title>
<para><ulink url="../server/mail.html">MTA</ulink>, 
<xref linkend="Linux_PAM"/>,
<ulink url="http://www.nsa.gov/selinux/">SELinux</ulink>,
<xref linkend="docbook-utils"/> and
<ulink url="../postlfs/editors.html">a text editor</ulink> (default is
<xref linkend="postlfs-editors-vim"/>)</para>
</sect4>
</sect3>

</sect2>

<sect2>
<title>Installation of <application>Fcron</application></title>

<para><application>Fcron</application> uses the cron facility of
<command>syslog</command> to log all messages. Since <acronym>LFS</acronym> 
does not set up this facility in <filename>/etc/syslog.conf</filename>, it 
needs to be done prior to installing <application>Fcron</application>. This 
command will append the necessary line to the current 
<filename>/etc/syslog.conf</filename>:</para>

<screen><userinput><command>cat &gt;&gt; /etc/syslog.conf &lt;&lt; "EOF"
# Begin fcron addition to /etc/syslog.conf

cron.* -/var/log/cron.log

# End fcron addition
EOF</command></userinput></screen>

<para>The configuration file has been modified, so reloading the
<command>sysklogd</command> daemon will activate the changes.</para>

<screen><userinput><command>/etc/rc.d/init.d/sysklogd reload</command></userinput></screen>

<para>For security reasons, an unprivileged user and group for 
<application>Fcron</application> should be created:</para>

<screen><userinput><command>groupadd fcron &amp;&amp;
useradd -d /dev/null -c "Fcron User" -g fcron -s /bin/false fcron</command></userinput></screen>

<para>Install <application>Fcron</application> by running the following 
commands:</para>

<screen><userinput><command>./configure --without-sendmail --with-answer-all=no &amp;&amp;
make &amp;&amp;
make install</command></userinput></screen>

</sect2>

<sect2>
<title>Command explanations</title>

<para><option>--without-sendmail</option>: <application>Fcron</application>
will use an installed <acronym>MTA</acronym> to email you the results of the
<command>fcron</command> script. If you wish to utilize this feature, change
the switch to <parameter>--with-sendmail=<replaceable>[path to your
MTA]</replaceable></parameter>.</para>

<para><parameter>--with-answer-all=no</parameter>: After the files are
installed, the <command>make install</command> script enters into a
configuration routine.  The first test will be whether to install a boot 
script in the <filename class="directory">/etc/rc.d/init.d</filename> 
directory with the appropriate symbolic links in run levels 2, 3, 4, and 5. 
The second is to stop any current fcron processes and start a new one. Since 
this is probably your first install and a boot script based upon the
<acronym>BLFS</acronym> template is desired, answer 'n' to both tests.</para>

</sect2>

<sect2>
<title>Configuring <application>Fcron</application></title>

<sect3><title>Config files</title>

<para><filename>/etc/fcron.conf</filename>,
<filename>/etc/fcron.allow</filename> and 
<filename>/etc/fcron.deny</filename></para>

</sect3>

<sect3><title>Configuration Information</title>

<para>There are no required changes in any of the config files.
Configuration information can be found in the man page for
<filename>fcron.conf</filename>.</para>

<para><command>fcron</command> scripts are written using 
<command>fcrontab</command>. Refer to the <command>fcrontab</command> man 
page for proper parameters to address your situation.</para>

<para>Install the <filename>/etc/rc.d/init.d/fcron</filename>
init script from the <xref linkend="intro-important-bootscripts"/> 
package.</para>

<screen><userinput><command>make install-fcron</command></userinput></screen>

</sect3>

</sect2>

<sect2>
<title>Contents</title>

<para>The <application>Fcron</application> package contains
<command>fcron</command>, <command>fcrontab</command>, 
<command>fcronsighup</command> and <command>fcrondyn</command>.</para>

</sect2>

<sect2><title>Description</title>

<sect3><title>fcron</title>
<para><command>fcron</command> is the scheduling daemon.</para></sect3>

<sect3><title>fcrontab</title>
<para><command>fcrontab</command> is the program used to install, edit, list
and remove the tables used by <command>fcron</command>.</para></sect3>

<sect3><title>fcronsighup</title>
<para><command>fcronsighup</command> instructs <command>fcron</command> to
reread the fcron tables.</para></sect3>

<sect3><title>fcrondyn</title>
<para><command>fcrondyn</command> is a user tool intended to interact with a
running <command>fcron</command> daemon.</para></sect3>

</sect2>

</sect1>