[X4U] OK with cron tasks if apps left running?

[Jim Scott]

On Jan 8, 2009, at 4:37 PM, Linda wrote:

> On 1/8/09 6:02 PM, Jim Scott wrote:
>
>> Probably, but why go through the hassle when all you have to do is
>> install Anacron and forget about the whole thing? See my other reply
>> about monitoring cron jobs in Console for more information.
>
> I looked at Anacron... confusing to me:
>
>> Yes. To run a local command as part of the periodic jobs, add it to
>> /etc/daily.local, /etc/weekly.local or /etc/monthly.local. Create  
>> the file(s)
>> as executable shell scripts if they do not exist. To add jobs at  
>> other
>> intervals, see man anacron and man anacrontab.
>
> Dunno what that means, turned me off to it. Downloaded MacJanitor  
> instead.
>
> ~Linda
>

Linda,

What you've quoted is an explanation of how a user can add other  
commands to the built-in daily, weekly and monthly standard OS X 10.4  
and 10.5 cron jobs. You don't have to do that, unless you're really  
expert in writing Terminal commands and know what you want to do.

Anacron simply automates what MacJanitor does in OS 10.4 when you give  
it manual instructions to run. MacJanitor doesn't work in 10.5, AFAIK;  
at least it didn't the last time I tried it. Anacron does no more and  
no less than the built-in OS X cron jobs. But if your system doesn't  
run 24/7, then Anacron makes sure the cron jobs are run when your 10.4  
or 10.5 machine is on. That's all. There's no need to make it more  
complex than that ... unless you're a Terminal command expert.

Jim