# Running a script from cron -\> nothing; running same script from command line =\> SUCCESS ??? **URL:** \ **Category:** Ansible Project\ **Created:** [August 31, 2023, 2:24pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/running-a-script-from-cron-nothing-running-same-script-from-command-line-success/38392 "2023-08-31T14:24:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WyoMurf](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/wyomurf/32/3588_2.png) [@WyoMurf](https://forum.ansible.com/u/WyoMurf)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 2:24pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/running-a-script-from-cron-nothing-running-same-script-from-command-line-success/38392/1 "2023-08-31T14:24:45Z")
As the subject line says, I can't get this script to run correctly from cron. My cron entry (in a file in /etc/cron.d): ---
**Author:** ![Will\_McDonald](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f475e1/32.png) [@Will\_McDonald](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Will_McDonald)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 2:59pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/running-a-script-from-cron-nothing-running-same-script-from-command-line-success/38392/2 "2023-08-31T14:59:28Z")
This isn’t really an Ansible problem per se unless it’s _only_ ansible in a subshell that doesn’t run from cron? Have you tested basic cron functionality using something simple like this (or something even more basic): #!/bin/sh z4=`date +%Y%m%d%H%M` touch /tmp/${z4} And then check to see if that file is created every 30 minutes _does_ work? First questions that spring to mind are: - is there anything in the cron log, syslog or journal for the crond service? - is anything else running successfully out of /etc/cron.d / cron.daily etc? - is crond enabled in whatever init system you’re using? (You haven’t stated which distro?) ---
**Author:** ![WyoMurf](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/wyomurf/32/3588_2.png) [@WyoMurf](https://forum.ansible.com/u/WyoMurf)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 5:57pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/running-a-script-from-cron-nothing-running-same-script-from-command-line-success/38392/3 "2023-08-31T17:57:47Z")
See below. > This isn’t really an Ansible problem per se unless it’s _only_ ansible in a subshell that doesn’t run from cron? Have you tested basic cron functionality using something simple like this (or something even more basic): > > #!/bin/sh > z4=`date +%Y%m%d%H%M` > touch /tmp/${z4} > > And then check to see if that file is created every 30 minutes _does_ work? Yes, it does. I know the script is running, because it is much elaborate than this, creating files, logging, etc. It’s run is annotated in /var/log/cron. If there was an obvious error, like no execute permission, I’d see something in a CMDOUT () message. No errors. I look at the /var/log/ansible.log, and I see the output I’d like to have, in the ansible.log. They are just not being returned to the script. It’s as if it’s a “term” sort of problem. So, in the ansible.log, I see something like: 2023-08-29 17:38:18,067 p=84629 u=root n=ansible | mainmachine | CHANGED | rc=0 \>\> 10.10.11.0##255.255.255.0 101.133.145.94##255.255.255.255 . . . and mayhaps a hundred or so more entries. > First questions that spring to mind are: > > - is there anything in the cron log, syslog or journal for the crond service? yes. /var/log/cron records it run. ansible.log shows that ansible is called and generates the desired data. It’s not being echoed to the stdout of the ansible process, it appears. > - is anything else running successfully out of /etc/cron.d / cron.daily etc? Yep. All else seems well with the cron.d stuff. > - is crond enabled in whatever init system you’re using? (You haven’t stated which distro?) I’m running this cron on a AlmaLinux release 8.8 (Sapphire Caracal) OS. ---
**Author:** ![Will\_McDonald](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f475e1/32.png) [@Will\_McDonald](https://forum.ansible.com/u/Will_McDonald)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2023, 7:47pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/running-a-script-from-cron-nothing-running-same-script-from-command-line-success/38392/4 "2023-08-31T19:47:18Z")
OK, that’s some useful extra info. I’ve just had a very quick basic play (I haven’t touched cron in earnest for a long time). Have you tried echo-ing $z4 and appended to a tmp file to see if there’s anything in it at run time? I’ve tried a few variations in a standard user’s crontab: root@DESKTOP-9HGJE25:~# crontab -u wmcdonald -l | grep -v ^# - - - - - ansible -m setup localhost - - - - - ~/ansible-test root@DESKTOP-9HGJE25:~# cat /home/wmcdonald/ansible-test #!/bin/sh ansible -m setup localhost BASIC\_VAR=`ansible -m setup localhost` echo $BASIC\_VAR VERBOSE\_VAR=`ansible -vvv -m ping localhost` echo $VERBOSE\_VAR FILE\_OUTPUT=`ansible -m ping localhost` echo $FILE\_OUTPUT \>\> /tmp/ansible.out The output from the last set of steps shows: root@DESKTOP-9HGJE25:~# cat /tmp/ansible.out localhost | SUCCESS =\> { “changed”: false, “ping”: “pong” } localhost | SUCCESS =\> { “changed”: false, “ping”: “pong” } I did notice from syslog that without an MTA, cron (on Ubuntu, at least) is throwing away output: /var/log/syslog:Aug 31 20:09:02 DESKTOP-9HGJE25 CRON[2361]: (CRON) info (No MTA installed, discarding output) ---
**Author:** ![WyoMurf](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/wyomurf/32/3588_2.png) [@WyoMurf](https://forum.ansible.com/u/WyoMurf)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2023, 1:18am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/running-a-script-from-cron-nothing-running-same-script-from-command-line-success/38392/5 "2023-09-01T01:18:10Z")
See below for inline answers: > OK, that’s some useful extra info. I’ve just had a very quick basic play (I haven’t touched cron in earnest for a long time). > > Have you tried echo-ing $z4 and appended to a tmp file to see if there’s anything in it at run time? Yes, I have, and $z4 is indeed quite empty. > I’ve tried a few variations in a standard user’s crontab: > > root@DESKTOP-9HGJE25:~# crontab -u wmcdonald -l | grep -v ^# > > - > - > - > - > - ansible -m setup localhost > > - > - > - > - > - ~/ansible-test > > root@DESKTOP-9HGJE25:~# cat /home/wmcdonald/ansible-test > #!/bin/sh > > ansible -m setup localhost > > BASIC\_VAR=`ansible -m setup localhost` > echo $BASIC\_VAR > > VERBOSE\_VAR=`ansible -vvv -m ping localhost` > echo $VERBOSE\_VAR > > FILE\_OUTPUT=`ansible -m ping localhost` > echo $FILE\_OUTPUT \>\> /tmp/ansible.out > > The output from the last set of steps shows: > > root@DESKTOP-9HGJE25:~# cat /tmp/ansible.out > localhost | SUCCESS =\> { “changed”: false, “ping”: “pong” } > localhost | SUCCESS =\> { “changed”: false, “ping”: “pong” } > > I did notice from syslog that without an MTA, cron (on Ubuntu, at least) is throwing away output: > > /var/log/syslog:Aug 31 20:09:02 DESKTOP-9HGJE25 CRON[2361]: (CRON) info (No MTA installed, discarding output) Not on this system. It seems clear that the ansible runs, the output is logged, but not sent to the “terminal” because, well, I don’t know, but evidently, there’s no “terminal” with cron originating the execution of the shell, perhaps? Any options to ansible for this? Any options in crontab? ---
**Author:** ![WyoMurf](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/wyomurf/32/3588_2.png) [@WyoMurf](https://forum.ansible.com/u/WyoMurf)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2023, 5:22am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/running-a-script-from-cron-nothing-running-same-script-from-command-line-success/38392/6 "2023-09-01T05:22:19Z")
Ah-ha!!! Found it: I had to modify the script, and turn the z4=`ansible ... 2>&1 | ...` into: /usr/local/bin/ansible mainmachine -m shell -a “psql …” | grep ‘^ [0-9]’ \> /tmp/z4a z4=`cat /tmp/z4a` So, much to my surprise and dismay, the application of 2\>&1 to ansible inside backticks is highly caustic. And, it didn’t really matter that I didn’t use the 2\>&1, as no stderr messages were generated anyway. I am not proficient enough in ansible, nor in the finer points of bash, to render any judgment or condemnation here. So, if anyone else has the same problem, maybe 2 every 10 years, try to remove any filepointer redirections! Thanks to Will McDonald, for his experiments and help! I really appreciate it!