cron job not running - Cron job not executing scheduled task

root@linuxfix:~/cron_job_not_running$

cron job not running

Cron job not executing scheduled task

Solutions

Prerequisites: Start by updating your system to resolve common issues and ensure the solutions provided below are compatible with your current environment.

check_latest_version && sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Check cron service

Verify cron is running:

sudo systemctl status cron

sudo systemctl start cron

ps aux | grep cron

Validate crontab syntax

Check cron job format:

crontab -l

crontab -e

cat /etc/crontab

Test script manually

Run script directly:

chmod +x /path/to/script.sh

/path/to/script.sh

bash -x /path/to/script.sh

What is cron job not running?

Scheduled cron job fails to run due to syntax errors, permissions, or service issues.

Common scenarios: Syntax errors in crontab, cron service stopped, or script permissions.

Common Causes

Crontab syntax error
Cron service not running
Script not executable
PATH issues
User permissions

Debugging Tips

tail -f /var/log/cron

grep CRON /var/log/syslog

crontab -l -u username

Prevention

Test cron syntax
Use absolute paths
Log cron output
Monitor cron jobs

Additional Resources

Cron Tutorial

Cron job scheduling guide

cron scheduling automation tasks