Finding & fixing problem with cron

[gary4gar]

i schedule my downloads with cron, but from past few, it isn't working(no downloads). and i need to help to first find the the problem & then fixing it.

my crontab looks like

# m h  dom mon dow   command
10 2 * * * 
10 2 * * * DISPLAY=:0.0 /opt/azureus/azureus
13 2 * * * wget -ci /home/gaurish/dl-list.txt

Root's crontab

10 2 * * *  /usr/bin/pon dsl-provider
49 7 * * * /usr/bin/poff
50 7 * * * /sbin/shutdown -h 0

mail from from cron

From: Cron Daemon <root@moody-machine>
To: gaurish@moody-machine
Subject: Cron <gaurish@MOODY-MACHINE> cd /home/gaurish/scripts && sh router-reboot.sh | telnet
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2008 02:10:05 +0530


telnet> Trying 192.168.1.1...
Connected to 192.168.1.1.
Escape character is '^]'.

BusyBox on localhost login: root
Password:


BusyBox v0.61.pre (2006.06.30-13:40+0000) Built-in shell (ash)
Enter 'help' for a list of built-in commands.

# reboot
Connection closed by foreign host.

^^^
i think its done successfully

From: Cron Daemon <root@moody-machine>
To: gaurish@moody-machine
Subject: Cron <gaurish@MOODY-MACHINE> wget -ci /home/gaurish/dl-list.txt
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2008 02:14:00 +0530


--02:13:01-- http://download-secondlife-com.s3.am...18_5_3.tar.bz2
=> `SecondLife_i686_1_18_5_3.tar.bz2'
Resolving download-secondlife-com.s3.amazonaws.com... failed: Name or service not known.
--02:13:57-- http://www.linuxcafe.org/uu/ubuntu-ultimate-1.6-dvd.iso
=> `ubuntu-ultimate-1.6-dvd.iso'
Resolving www.linuxcafe.org... 208.113.188.83
Connecting to www.linuxcafe.org|208.113.188.83|:80... failed: No route to host.

the contents of dl-list.txt file

http://download-secondlife-com.s3.am...18_5_3.tar.bz2
http://www.linuxcafe.org/uu/ubuntu-ultimate-1.6-dvd.iso

the surprizeing part here is
1) cron started wget but for some reason downloads didn't start
2) azureus didn't come up & cron didn't even leave a mail behind stating what error



I am not sure whats wrong here, but the the reasons may be
1) network is was not up when wget was running.
2) some error in crontab config
3) cron deamon died
4) some unforeseen error happened


the script i use to reboot my router is

#!/bin/sh
#############################################
#Script Written By Gaurish Sharma                                           #
#change the password variable with your own set password         #
#the default password in most cased is 'admin'                           #
#use it in terminal as sh router-reboot.sh | telnet                       #
#(C) Gaurish Sharma 2008                                                      #
#All Right Reserved                                                               #
#############################################
add='open 192.168.1.1'
userid='root'
password='eatmypissyoublackslut'
cmd='reboot'
echo $add
sleep 1
echo $userid
sleep 1
echo $password
sleep 1
echo $cmd
sleep 1

[mehulved]

As to the downloads surely it's network that's down because as the error states, it cannot find route to the host.
Also, check /var/log/messages to see if anything useful is there.

[infra_red_dude]

--02:13:01-- http://download-secondlife-com.s3.am...18_5_3.tar.bz2
=> `SecondLife_i686_1_18_5_3.tar.bz2'
Resolving download-secondlife-com.s3.amazonaws.com... failed: Name or service not known.
--02:13:57-- http://www.linuxcafe.org/uu/ubuntu-ultimate-1.6-dvd.iso
=> `ubuntu-ultimate-1.6-dvd.iso'
Resolving www.linuxcafe.org... 208.113.188.83
Connecting to www.linuxcafe.org|208.113.188.83|:80... failed: No route to host.

From the error looks like possibly one of the 2 errors:

1) Remote server is down
2) Problem with your ISP's DNS.

Btw, shouldn't the password='eatmypissyoublackslut' be password='drinkmypissyoublackslut'

[mehulved]

maybe I is U and he is she
sheesh the kids these days.

[mediator]

1. check if ur DNS entries are up and running. Add opendns entries if u wish.
2. Check ur gateway entry.
3. It cud also be ur ISP => down for maintenence!

[gary4gar]

here is the output of today morning, now today morning:

1) today only the router reboot script ran & other :s

From: Cron Daemon <root@moody-machine>
To: gaurish@moody-machine
Subject: Cron <gaurish@MOODY-MACHINE> cd /home/gaurish/scripts && sh router-reboot.sh | telnet
Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2008 02:10:05 +0530


telnet> Trying 192.168.1.1...
Connected to 192.168.1.1.
Escape character is '^]'.

BusyBox on localhost login: root
Password:


BusyBox v0.61.pre (2006.06.30-13:40+0000) Built-in shell (ash)
Enter 'help' for a list of built-in commands.

# reboot
Connection closed by foreign host.

wonder why the other commands didn't run

1. check if ur DNS entries are up and running. Add opendns entries if u wish.

i am using opendns+Dnsmasq

:~$ cat /etc/resolv.conf
# generated by NetworkManager, do not edit!
nameserver 127.0.0.1
nameserver 208.67.220.220
nameserver 208.67.222.222

2. Check ur gateway entry.

how to check?

It cud also be ur ISP => down for maintenence!

how come, got two days at a stretch, btw BSNL in good in terms of Uptime

1) Remote server is down
2) Problem with your ISP's DNS.

maybe, but how can you explain, tasks run run by cron & no mail left behind?


the password settings is on the based of Shocking Nonsense as Described in FAQ of PGP - Passphrase

Originally Posted by mehulved

As to the downloads surely it's network that's down because as the error states, it cannot find route to the host.
Also, check /var/log/messages to see if anything useful is there.

as my machine was restarted, so there are no logs at that time of incident

[mediator]

1. Try removing this line from resolv => "nameserver 127.0.0.1".
2. U check ur gateway with "/sbin/route -nee"! The gateway should be ur router.

Does the ping work to any of the opendns's IPs?