Running a Cron job daily from 6 am to 11:30 pm

Question

Could you help me please to run my cron job daily from 6 am to 11:30 pm in the following format

• • • • • command path

Thanks

Solution

cron can start jobs easily enough, but if you need to run something from 6am to 11.30pm, you'll need to issue a start command at 6am, and a stop command at 11.30pm.

something like this:

## start the job (6am)
  0  6 * * * /usr/bin/start-my-job

## stop the job (11.30pm)
 30 23 * * * /usr/bin/stop-my-job

edit: i think i see what you're asking for now. try this:

## every three minutes between 6am and 11.30pm
    */3  6-22 * * * my-command
 0-30/3    23 * * * my-command

edit: okay, if you want 6pm until midday the following day, you need:

## every three minutes between midnight and midday
  */3   0-11  * * * my-command
## every three minutes between 6pm and midnight
  */3  18-23  * * * my-command

Comments

[Samiul]

i have written the following but giving bad hour when i try to save in cron tab . I have written */3 19-12 * * * mycommand path

[Samiul]

I want in a single command not two separate command

[simon]

that's not how cron works. you can simply kill the process at 11.30pm, if you like, but there is no way to tell cron to run a command for a specified period of time. if you think about it, it doesn't really make sense.

[Samiul]

every 3 minutes is working fine thats why i am not asking about the miniut. My problem in hour. As my cron should run daily from 7 pm to 11:30 am or 12 am in US time. Clear?

[simon]

ah - i think i see what you're asking for

[Samiul]

*/3 19-12 * * * where is the error even following also giving error */3 19-12 * * mon-sat if i want to run my cron only in development working day (monday to saturday)

[simon]

i think we're on the same page now -- see edits :)

[Samiul]

*/3 6-23 * * * my-command, its good but if i want evening 6pm to day 12 am then will it be */3 18-12 * * * my-command ?

[simon]

12am is midnight. do you mean midnight or midday (12pm)?

[Samiul]

## every three minutes between 6pm and midnight */3 6-23 * * * my-command The first one "## every three minutes between midnight and midday" is correct but this one "## every three minutes between 6pm and midnight" should be */3 16-23 * * * my-command Just confirm me Simon

[simon]

it should be 18 (6pm) :)

[Samiul]

ah! yes , it shout be 18 Thank you very much for giving me clue. Thank you boss. You save my time. :)