Noticed a strange thing recently and hopefully someone of you might have an answer that can help me (?). I run backup command using crontab and I could see a difference in the file name when the command run via crontab and the command run manually.

When I run the command manually the file name is correct, but when I run via crontab the file name is formatted without most of the parameters.

Command found in crontab:
/usr/sbin/backup -0 -u -f /mnt/aix-backup/$(hostname)-$(date "+%Y.%m.%d-%H.%M.%S")-root-WFB.bk /

Output from command and crontab: (do not mind the strange box at the file name - just a special character in our language)



So I can copy the command line from crontab and run manually and the file is created as expected. As screenshot the issue affects mksysb backup also, I use the same variables for the all the commands $(hostname)-$(date "+%Y.%m.%d-%H.%M.%S").

------------------------------
Per Hillerström
------------------------------

I suspect a locale setting. Run locale in your local shell where this is working as expected, and run locale in your cron job.

------------------------------
Dave Marquardt
Sr. Software Engineer
IBM
Austin TX
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: Mon December 05, 2022 02:09 AM
From: Per Hillerström
Subject: Output from crontab vs. command

Noticed a strange thing recently and hopefully someone of you might have an answer that can help me (?). I run backup command using crontab and I could see a difference in the file name when the command run via crontab and the command run manually.

When I run the command manually the file name is correct, but when I run via crontab the file name is formatted without most of the parameters.

Command found in crontab:
/usr/sbin/backup -0 -u -f /mnt/aix-backup/$(hostname)-$(date "+%Y.%m.%d-%H.%M.%S")-root-WFB.bk /

Output from command and crontab: (do not mind the strange box at the file name - just a special character in our language)

So I can copy the command line from crontab and run manually and the file is created as expected. As screenshot the issue affects mksysb backup also, I use the same variables for the all the commands $(hostname)-$(date "+%Y.%m.%d-%H.%M.%S").

------------------------------
Per Hillerström
------------------------------

Thanks for your respone @Dave Marquardt ... the result was as below and the output has no difference. Perhaps it is the swedish language.

# locale
LANG=sv_SE
LC_COLLATE="sv_SE"
LC_CTYPE="sv_SE"
LC_MONETARY="sv_SE"
LC_NUMERIC="sv_SE"
LC_TIME="sv_SE"
LC_MESSAGES="sv_SE"
LC_ALL=
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
# cat /tmp/localecommand.log
LANG=sv_SE
LC_COLLATE="sv_SE"
LC_CTYPE="sv_SE"
LC_MONETARY="sv_SE"
LC_NUMERIC="sv_SE"
LC_TIME="sv_SE"
LC_MESSAGES="sv_SE"
LC_ALL=
​

------------------------------
Per Hillerström
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: Mon December 05, 2022 11:55 AM
From: Dave Marquardt
Subject: Output from crontab vs. command

I suspect a locale setting. Run locale in your local shell where this is working as expected, and run locale in your cron job.

------------------------------
Dave Marquardt
Sr. Software Engineer
IBM
Austin TX

Original Message:
Sent: Mon December 05, 2022 02:09 AM
From: Per Hillerström
Subject: Output from crontab vs. command

Noticed a strange thing recently and hopefully someone of you might have an answer that can help me (?). I run backup command using crontab and I could see a difference in the file name when the command run via crontab and the command run manually.

When I run the command manually the file name is correct, but when I run via crontab the file name is formatted without most of the parameters.

Command found in crontab:
/usr/sbin/backup -0 -u -f /mnt/aix-backup/$(hostname)-$(date "+%Y.%m.%d-%H.%M.%S")-root-WFB.bk /

Output from command and crontab: (do not mind the strange box at the file name - just a special character in our language)

So I can copy the command line from crontab and run manually and the file is created as expected. As screenshot the issue affects mksysb backup also, I use the same variables for the all the commands $(hostname)-$(date "+%Y.%m.%d-%H.%M.%S").

------------------------------
Per Hillerström
------------------------------

That eliminates that idea!

------------------------------
Dave Marquardt
Sr. Software Engineer
IBM
Austin TX
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: Tue December 06, 2022 02:08 AM
From: Per Hillerström
Subject: Output from crontab vs. command

Thanks for your respone @Dave Marquardt ... the result was as below and the output has no difference. Perhaps it is the swedish language.

# locale
LANG=sv_SE
LC_COLLATE="sv_SE"
LC_CTYPE="sv_SE"
LC_MONETARY="sv_SE"
LC_NUMERIC="sv_SE"
LC_TIME="sv_SE"
LC_MESSAGES="sv_SE"
LC_ALL=
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
# cat /tmp/localecommand.log
LANG=sv_SE
LC_COLLATE="sv_SE"
LC_CTYPE="sv_SE"
LC_MONETARY="sv_SE"
LC_NUMERIC="sv_SE"
LC_TIME="sv_SE"
LC_MESSAGES="sv_SE"
LC_ALL=
​

------------------------------
Per Hillerström

Original Message:
Sent: Mon December 05, 2022 11:55 AM
From: Dave Marquardt
Subject: Output from crontab vs. command

I suspect a locale setting. Run locale in your local shell where this is working as expected, and run locale in your cron job.

------------------------------
Dave Marquardt
Sr. Software Engineer
IBM
Austin TX

Original Message:
Sent: Mon December 05, 2022 02:09 AM
From: Per Hillerström
Subject: Output from crontab vs. command

Noticed a strange thing recently and hopefully someone of you might have an answer that can help me (?). I run backup command using crontab and I could see a difference in the file name when the command run via crontab and the command run manually.

When I run the command manually the file name is correct, but when I run via crontab the file name is formatted without most of the parameters.

Command found in crontab:
/usr/sbin/backup -0 -u -f /mnt/aix-backup/$(hostname)-$(date "+%Y.%m.%d-%H.%M.%S")-root-WFB.bk /

Output from command and crontab: (do not mind the strange box at the file name - just a special character in our language)

So I can copy the command line from crontab and run manually and the file is created as expected. As screenshot the issue affects mksysb backup also, I use the same variables for the all the commands $(hostname)-$(date "+%Y.%m.%d-%H.%M.%S").

------------------------------
Per Hillerström
------------------------------

The percent sign has a special meaning in a crontab.  Check the man page for details, but the chase is that you need to escape the percent sign with a backslash.  So the argument to the 'date' command should be "\%Y.\%m.\%d-\%H.\%M.\%S".

------------------------------
Anker Lerret
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: Mon December 05, 2022 02:09 AM
From: Per Hillerström
Subject: Output from crontab vs. command

Noticed a strange thing recently and hopefully someone of you might have an answer that can help me (?). I run backup command using crontab and I could see a difference in the file name when the command run via crontab and the command run manually.

When I run the command manually the file name is correct, but when I run via crontab the file name is formatted without most of the parameters.

Command found in crontab:
/usr/sbin/backup -0 -u -f /mnt/aix-backup/$(hostname)-$(date "+%Y.%m.%d-%H.%M.%S")-root-WFB.bk /

Output from command and crontab: (do not mind the strange box at the file name - just a special character in our language)

So I can copy the command line from crontab and run manually and the file is created as expected. As screenshot the issue affects mksysb backup also, I use the same variables for the all the commands $(hostname)-$(date "+%Y.%m.%d-%H.%M.%S").

------------------------------
Per Hillerström
------------------------------

Many thanks @Anker Lerret that solved it!​

------------------------------
Per Hillerström
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: Tue December 06, 2022 01:08 PM
From: Anker Lerret
Subject: Output from crontab vs. command

The percent sign has a special meaning in a crontab.  Check the man page for details, but the chase is that you need to escape the percent sign with a backslash.  So the argument to the 'date' command should be "\%Y.\%m.\%d-\%H.\%M.\%S".

------------------------------
Anker Lerret
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts

Original Message:
Sent: Mon December 05, 2022 02:09 AM
From: Per Hillerström
Subject: Output from crontab vs. command

Noticed a strange thing recently and hopefully someone of you might have an answer that can help me (?). I run backup command using crontab and I could see a difference in the file name when the command run via crontab and the command run manually.

When I run the command manually the file name is correct, but when I run via crontab the file name is formatted without most of the parameters.

Command found in crontab:
/usr/sbin/backup -0 -u -f /mnt/aix-backup/$(hostname)-$(date "+%Y.%m.%d-%H.%M.%S")-root-WFB.bk /

Output from command and crontab: (do not mind the strange box at the file name - just a special character in our language)

So I can copy the command line from crontab and run manually and the file is created as expected. As screenshot the issue affects mksysb backup also, I use the same variables for the all the commands $(hostname)-$(date "+%Y.%m.%d-%H.%M.%S").

------------------------------
Per Hillerström
------------------------------

Cheers!  I've shot off that toe before.

------------------------------
Anker Lerret
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: Wed December 07, 2022 02:52 AM
From: Per Hillerström
Subject: Output from crontab vs. command

Many thanks @Anker Lerret that solved it!​

------------------------------
Per Hillerström

Original Message:
Sent: Tue December 06, 2022 01:08 PM
From: Anker Lerret
Subject: Output from crontab vs. command

The percent sign has a special meaning in a crontab.  Check the man page for details, but the chase is that you need to escape the percent sign with a backslash.  So the argument to the 'date' command should be "\%Y.\%m.\%d-\%H.\%M.\%S".

------------------------------
Anker Lerret
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts

Original Message:
Sent: Mon December 05, 2022 02:09 AM
From: Per Hillerström
Subject: Output from crontab vs. command

Noticed a strange thing recently and hopefully someone of you might have an answer that can help me (?). I run backup command using crontab and I could see a difference in the file name when the command run via crontab and the command run manually.

When I run the command manually the file name is correct, but when I run via crontab the file name is formatted without most of the parameters.

Command found in crontab:
/usr/sbin/backup -0 -u -f /mnt/aix-backup/$(hostname)-$(date "+%Y.%m.%d-%H.%M.%S")-root-WFB.bk /

Output from command and crontab: (do not mind the strange box at the file name - just a special character in our language)

So I can copy the command line from crontab and run manually and the file is created as expected. As screenshot the issue affects mksysb backup also, I use the same variables for the all the commands $(hostname)-$(date "+%Y.%m.%d-%H.%M.%S").

------------------------------
Per Hillerström
------------------------------

Just out of curiosity. Would single quotes work as wel? I know in ksh/bash it should.

------------------------------
Ane-Pieter Wieringa
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: Tue December 06, 2022 01:08 PM
From: Anker Lerret
Subject: Output from crontab vs. command

The percent sign has a special meaning in a crontab.  Check the man page for details, but the chase is that you need to escape the percent sign with a backslash.  So the argument to the 'date' command should be "\%Y.\%m.\%d-\%H.\%M.\%S".

------------------------------
Anker Lerret
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts

Original Message:
Sent: Mon December 05, 2022 02:09 AM
From: Per Hillerström
Subject: Output from crontab vs. command

Noticed a strange thing recently and hopefully someone of you might have an answer that can help me (?). I run backup command using crontab and I could see a difference in the file name when the command run via crontab and the command run manually.

When I run the command manually the file name is correct, but when I run via crontab the file name is formatted without most of the parameters.

Command found in crontab:
/usr/sbin/backup -0 -u -f /mnt/aix-backup/$(hostname)-$(date "+%Y.%m.%d-%H.%M.%S")-root-WFB.bk /

Output from command and crontab: (do not mind the strange box at the file name - just a special character in our language)

So I can copy the command line from crontab and run manually and the file is created as expected. As screenshot the issue affects mksysb backup also, I use the same variables for the all the commands $(hostname)-$(date "+%Y.%m.%d-%H.%M.%S").

------------------------------
Per Hillerström
------------------------------

According to the man page, it has to be a backslash.  cron is a different animal from ksh/bash.

------------------------------
Anker Lerret
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: Thu December 08, 2022 02:17 AM
From: Ane-Pieter Wieringa
Subject: Output from crontab vs. command

Just out of curiosity. Would single quotes work as wel? I know in ksh/bash it should.

------------------------------
Ane-Pieter Wieringa

Original Message:
Sent: Tue December 06, 2022 01:08 PM
From: Anker Lerret
Subject: Output from crontab vs. command

The percent sign has a special meaning in a crontab.  Check the man page for details, but the chase is that you need to escape the percent sign with a backslash.  So the argument to the 'date' command should be "\%Y.\%m.\%d-\%H.\%M.\%S".

------------------------------
Anker Lerret
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts

Original Message:
Sent: Mon December 05, 2022 02:09 AM
From: Per Hillerström
Subject: Output from crontab vs. command

Noticed a strange thing recently and hopefully someone of you might have an answer that can help me (?). I run backup command using crontab and I could see a difference in the file name when the command run via crontab and the command run manually.

When I run the command manually the file name is correct, but when I run via crontab the file name is formatted without most of the parameters.

Command found in crontab:
/usr/sbin/backup -0 -u -f /mnt/aix-backup/$(hostname)-$(date "+%Y.%m.%d-%H.%M.%S")-root-WFB.bk /

Output from command and crontab: (do not mind the strange box at the file name - just a special character in our language)

So I can copy the command line from crontab and run manually and the file is created as expected. As screenshot the issue affects mksysb backup also, I use the same variables for the all the commands $(hostname)-$(date "+%Y.%m.%d-%H.%M.%S").

------------------------------
Per Hillerström
------------------------------