ABSTRACT

This page describes the syntax used for the configuration file of fcrontab(1), fcrondyn(1) and fcron(8).

Blank lines, line beginning by a hash sign (#) (which are considered comments), leading blanks and tabs are ignored. Each line in a fcron.conf file is of the form

The following names are recognized (default value in parentheses): "VALID VARIABLES IN A FCRON.CONF FILE"

fcrontabs=directory (/usr/local/var/spool/fcron)

Fcron spool directory.

pidfile=file-path (/usr/local/var/run/fcron.pid)

Location of fcron pid file (needed by fcrontab to work properly).

suspendfile=file-path (/usr/local/var/run/fcron.suspend)

Location of fcron suspend file. On non-Linux systems, this should be used to let fcron know how long the system was suspended (to memory or disk), so as task schedules can be updated accordingly.

fifofile=file-path (/usr/local/var/run/fcron.fifo)

Location of fcron fifo file (needed by fcrondyn to communicate with fcron).

fcronallow=file-path (/usr/local/etc/fcron.allow)

Location of fcron.allow file.

fcrondeny=file-path (/usr/local/etc/fcron.deny)

Location of fcron.deny file.

shell=file-path (/bin/sh)

Location of default shell called by fcron when running a job. When fcron runs a job, fcron uses the value of SHELL from the fcrontab if any, otherwise it uses the value from fcron.conf if any, or in last resort the value from /etc/passwd.

sendmail=file-path (/usr/sbin/sendmail)

Location of mailer program called by fcron to send job output.

editor=file-path (/usr/bin/vi)

Location of default editor used when invoking "fcrontab -e". File-paths and directories are complete and absolute (i.e. beginning by a "/").

To run several instances of fcron simultaneously on the same system, you must use a different configuration file for each instance. Each instance must have a different fcrontabs, pidfile and fifofile. Then, use fcron(8)'s command line option -c to select which config file (so which instance) you refer to.