How to add a bash script to a cron job?

Question

I have a script called backup.sh:

#!/bin/bash
sudo zip -r /home/jazuly/backup.zip /var/lib/automysqlbackup/
cd /home/jazuly/backupscript/cp2google/
php cp2google.php /home/jazuly/backup.zip
cd ~
rm -f /home/jazuly/backup.zip

I made it executable:

sudo chmod +x backup.sh

Then I tried to edit cronwith crontab -e.

I add:

# m h dom mon dow command
0 0 * * * /home/jazuly/backup.sh

but when cron sends the backup.zip to my email, I download and open it, and the file is corrupt.

If I run the script manually with:

$ sudo chmod +x backup.sh 
$ ./backup.sh

I can open the zip file.

seanlano · Answer 1 · 2017-06-16T00:14:38.263

You will need to use the full path in any cron executed script. So, don't do cd ~, give instead cd /home/jazuly

For further debugging, you can also redirect the output of the cron script to a file, with /home/jazuly/backup.sh 1> /home/jazuly/log.txt 2> /home/jazuly/err.txt

So the whole command:

# m h dom mon dow command
0 0 * * * /bin/bash /home/jazuly/backup.sh 1> /home/jazuly/log.txt 2> /home/jazuly/err.txt

score 4 · Answer 2 · answered Jun 15 '17 at 09:07

Try to use full paths

#!/bin/bash
/usr/bin/zip -r /home/jazuly/backup.zip /var/lib/automysqlbackup/
/usr/bin/php /home/jazuly/backupscript/cp2google/cp2google.php /home/jazuly/backup.zip
rm -f /home/jazuly/backup.zip

And add /bin/bash in cron

# m h dom mon dow command
0 0 * * * /bin/bash /home/jazuly/backup.sh

And check permissions for files backup.zip, backupdatabaseterbaru-c771cd4f4fcf.p12

Jazuly · Accepted Answer · 2017-06-17T02:49:56.133

Here are the steps of how I fixed it:

Change Permission & Owner of var/lib/automysqlbackup to 777 & jazuly.jazuly.
Move all the folders & files from backupscript/cp2google/ to home/jazuly.
Use wait for every statement.
My final code:
```
#!/bin/bash
zip -r backup.zip /var/lib/automysqlbackup/
wait
php cp2google.php backup.zip
wait
rm -f backup.zip
```
And my cron:
```
0 0 * * * /home/jazuly/backup.sh
```
to backup every midnight/day.

I don't think there is a need to write the full path if the .sh file is in the same path with what you want to execute.

How to add a bash script to a cron job?

3 Answers3