How to run multiple scripts in a folder with cron

Introduction

Cron is a time-based job scheduler in Unix-like operating systems. It is used to schedule jobs (commands or scripts) to run periodically at fixed times, dates, or intervals. Running multiple scripts in a folder with cron can be a challenging task. In this blog post, we will discuss how to run multiple scripts in a folder with cron and how to troubleshoot common issues.

Folder Structure

The first step in running multiple scripts in a folder with cron is to create a folder structure. In this structure, we will have two folders: “available” and “enabled”. The “available” folder will contain all the scripts that we want to run, and the “enabled” folder will contain symbolic links to the scripts we want to enable.

Example:

# all scripts
scripts/available/1.sh
scripts/available/2.sh
scripts/available/3.sh

# enabled scripts
scripts/enabled/1.sh -> scripts/available/1.sh
scripts/enabled/2.sh -> scripts/available/2.sh

Creating Symbolic Links

After creating the folder structure, we need to create symbolic links to the scripts we want to enable. Symbolic links are shortcuts to files or directories. They are created using the ln command with the -s option.

Example:

ln -s /home/user/scripts/available/1.sh /home/user/scripts/enabled/1.sh
ln -s /home/user/scripts/available/2.sh /home/user/scripts/enabled/2.sh

Running Scripts with Cron

To run multiple scripts in a folder with cron, we need to add a cron job that will run all the scripts in the “enabled” folder. We can do this by adding the following line to the crontab file:

* * * * * /home/user/scripts/enabled/* > /dev/null

This line will run all the scripts in the “enabled” folder every minute. The output of the scripts will be redirected to /dev/null, which means that we will not receive any output.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

When running multiple scripts in a folder with cron, we may encounter some common issues. Here are some tips to help troubleshoot these issues:

Permissions

Make sure that the scripts and folders have the correct permissions. The scripts should be executable, and the folders should be readable and executable by the user running the cron job.

Path

Make sure that the path to the scripts is correct. When running scripts with cron, the path may be different from the path when running the scripts manually.

Output

Make sure that the scripts are producing output. If the scripts are not producing output, it may be difficult to troubleshoot issues.

Logging

Enable logging for the cron job. This will help to troubleshoot issues by providing more information about what is happening during the execution of the cron job.

Script Errors

Check the scripts for errors. If the scripts are producing errors, they may not run correctly with cron.

Conclusion

Running multiple scripts in a folder with cron can be a challenging task. However, by following the steps outlined in this blog post and troubleshooting common issues, we can successfully run multiple scripts with cron. Remember to create a folder structure, create symbolic links to the scripts we want to enable, and add a cron job that will run all the scripts in the “enabled” folder. Happy scripting!

To run multiple scripts in a folder with cron, you can use a wildcard character (*) in the crontab entry to specify all the scripts in the folder. Here is an example of how you can do this:

1. Edit the crontab file by running the command crontab -e.
2. Add the following line to the crontab file, replacing /path/to/scripts with the actual path to your scripts folder:

* * * * * /bin/bash /path/to/scripts/* &> /dev/null

This will run all the scripts in the scripts folder every minute.

Alternatively, you can create a wrapper script that runs all the scripts in the scripts/enabled folder. To do this, create a new script in the scripts folder, for example run_scripts.sh, and add the following code:

#!/bin/bash

for script in /path/to/scripts/enabled/*; do
  $script
done

Then, in the crontab file, add the following line to run the wrapper script every minute:

* * * * * /bin/bash /path/to/scripts/run_scripts.sh &> /dev/null

This will run all the scripts in the scripts/enabled folder every minute.

In summary, to run multiple scripts in a folder with cron, you can either use a wildcard character (*) in the crontab entry to specify all the scripts in the folder, or you can create a wrapper script that runs all the scripts in the scripts/enabled folder. Both approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages, and you should choose the one that best fits your needs.

It is also worth noting that you can use the crontab command to manage your cron jobs more effectively. For example, you can use the -l option to list all the cron jobs, the -r option to delete all the cron jobs, and the -u option to specify the user for whom the cron jobs should be run.

I hope this information was helpful. Let me know if you have any further questions or need further assistance.

Alternatively, I can use run-parts by adding the following line to my crontab file:

* * * * * /usr/bin/run-parts --regex='.+' /home/user/scripts/enabled

In this case, I am specifying the parameter --regex='.+' which allows any filenames to be included. I can refer to the manual for more information by typing man run-parts in the terminal.