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diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ef8cc8a --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,74 @@ +# GNU Mcron + +This is GNU Mcron, a tool to run jobs at scheduled times. It is a complete +replacement for Vixie cron. Besides supporting the traditional Vixie syntax +for its configuration files, GNU Mcron offers the possibility to define jobs +using the Scheme language. + +See the INSTALL file for generic information about how to configure and +install GNU Mcron. If this file is not present, see HACKING for preliminary +build instructions. + +# IMPORTANT NOTICES + +Do not (yet) install this software on a machine which relies for its +functioning on its current set of crontabs. + +To not replace the cron daemon on a system, the package must be installed with +the `--disable-multi-user` configure option. + +Before installing this package for the first time, it is necessary to +terminate any running cron daemons on your system. If your old cron is not +Vixie or accurately Vixie compatible (files in /var/cron/tabs*, +/var/cron/allow, /var/cron/deny, /etc/crontab, /var/run/cron.pid) then you +will need to clear out all old crontabs and make new ones afresh - or else +look very carefully at the options you pass to the package configure script, +as follows. + +It is often the case that GNU/Linux distributions and other Unices hacked the +cron daemon to use different directories to those above. You can use configure +options `--spool-dir`, `--socket-file`, `--allow-file`, `--deny-file`, +`--pid-file` and `--tmp-dir` to make mcron behave similarly. Note that, with +the exception of tmp-dir, none of these files or directories should be +accessible by ordinary (non-root) users. + +If your old cron is Vixie, or very similar, mcron should fall right into place +where your old cron was (the binaries cron and crontab will be replaced, but +if your existing system has a binary called crond, you should make this a link +to mcron), and you should be able to continue to use your existing crontabs +without noticing any changes. + +If you don't want to clobber your existing cron executables, you can specify +the `--program-prefix` option to configure with a prefix ending in a +non-alphabetic character, for example "m.", and then run the programs as +`m.mcron`, `m.cron` (or `m.crond`) and `m.crontab`. + +After installation, read the info file for full instructions for use (typing +'`info mcron`' at the command line should suffice). Notes for end users, +sysadmins, and developers who wish to incorporate mcron into their own +programs are included here. + +Features which might be implemented sometime sooner or later are noted in the +TODO file. + +Please send all bug reports to [bug-mcron@gnu.org](mailto:bug-mcron@gnu.org). + +Mcron is free software. See the file COPYING for copying conditions. + +The mcron development home page is at +[https://rdmp.org/dmbcs/mcron](https://rdmp.org/dmbcs/mcron) and the latest +version can be obtained from +[https://rdmp.org/dmbcs/mcron.git](https://rdmp.org/cgit/mcron.git). + +The GNU home page for the project is +[http://www.gnu.org/software/mcron](http://www.gnu.org/software/mcron). + +--- + +Copyright © 2003, 2005, 2006, 2012, 2014, 2024 Dale Mellor<br> +Copyright © 2018 Mathieu Lirzin + +Copying and distribution of this file, with or without modification, are +permitted in any medium without royalty provided the copyright notice and this +notice are preserved. This file is offered as-is, without warranty of any +kind. |