cron on 10.5.2 server

In article <bob-391647.07280423042008@[199.45.49.11]>,
Robert Peirce <bob RemoveThis @peirce-family.com.invalid> wrote:

> In article <nospam.News.Bob-435213.19554022042008 RemoveThis @news.verizon.net>,
> Bob Harris <nospam.News.Bob RemoveThis @remove.Smith-Harris.us> wrote:
>
> > In article <bob-B7DD2F.09320622042008@[199.45.49.11]>,
> > Robert Peirce <bob RemoveThis @peirce-family.com.invalid> wrote:
> >
> > > In article <nospam.News.Bob-0DCC6B.20021621042008 RemoveThis @news.verizon.net>,
> > > Bob Harris <nospam.News.Bob RemoveThis @remove.Smith-Harris.us> wrote:
> > >
> > > > In article <bob-A32307.07492421042008@[199.45.49.11]>,
> > > > Robert Peirce <bob RemoveThis @peirce-family.com.invalid> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > I still don¹t know how to create a crontab in the standard way. 
> > > > > Crontab
> > > > > ­e produces the following output:
> > > >
> > > > I experienced the same problem, and it was because I was using my
> > > > own install of Vim <http://www.vim.com>.
> > > >
> > > > I solved my problem by defining a bash shell alias that makes sure
> > > > I'm using the Mac OS X provided vi (really Vim, but as provided by
> > > > Apple):
> > > >
> > > > alias crontab='EDITOR=/usr/bin/vi /usr/bin/crontab'
> > > >
> > > > This works every time, all the time.
> > > >
> > > > Bob Harris
> > >
> > > I just tried that and got the same
> > >
> > > crontab: temp file must be edited in place
> > >
> > > error. Something else is going on here.
> >
> > When you are editing in vi/Vim, do you have a habit of doing
> >
> > :w
>
> I don't think that is the issue. Crontab -e used to work before we
> re-installed the OS. Something got changed, but I don't know what.

I think you need to check the state of the various Vim backup
options when doing a 'crontab -e'

:set backup

causes me to get the following error:

"crontab.sgCEIjluOl" 2L, 28C written
crontab: temp file must be edited in place

:set backup?
backup

is how you can see what the current 'backup' option setting.

:help backup

may give you more information.

NOTE: This may not be the only Vim option that can
shoot-you-in-the-foot. There might be 'writebackup', 'backupdir',
'backupskip', 'backupcopy', 'backupext', or some that are not
obvious to me.

:set all

will tell you ALL of the Vim options and their current settings

If you find any of these options are set in a way to trigger the
crontab behavior, then start looking for the .vimrc or .exrc file
that might be causing it. If you do a

:help vimrc

you will find a list of all the ways Vim can be initialized.
Including environment variables such as VIMINIT or EXINIT, or
$VIM/vimrc

If you are unsure what .vimrc files are being called, you could
try just running your editor with the -v option

vim -V some.random.file

Which should tell you all the files that Vim is 'sourcing' as it
starts up.

Bob Harris

In article <nospam.News.Bob-78854B.19460723042008 RemoveThis @news.verizon.net>,
Bob Harris <nospam.News.Bob RemoveThis @remove.Smith-Harris.us> wrote:
> I think you need to check the state of the various Vim backup
> options when doing a 'crontab -e'
>
> :set backup
>
> causes me to get the following error:
>
> "crontab.sgCEIjluOl" 2L, 28C written
> crontab: temp file must be edited in place
>
> :set backup?
> backup
>
> is how you can see what the current 'backup' option setting.
>
> :help backup
>
> may give you more information.
>
> NOTE: This may not be the only Vim option that can
> shoot-you-in-the-foot. There might be 'writebackup', 'backupdir',
> 'backupskip', 'backupcopy', 'backupext', or some that are not
> obvious to me.
>
> :set all
>
> will tell you ALL of the Vim options and their current settings
>
> If you find any of these options are set in a way to trigger the
> crontab behavior, then start looking for the .vimrc or .exrc file
> that might be causing it. If you do a
>
> :help vimrc
>
> you will find a list of all the ways Vim can be initialized.
> Including environment variables such as VIMINIT or EXINIT, or
> $VIM/vimrc
>
> If you are unsure what .vimrc files are being called, you could
> try just running your editor with the -v option
>
> vim -V some.random.file
>
> Which should tell you all the files that Vim is 'sourcing' as it
> starts up.
>
> Bob Harris

Thanks for the leads. I'll check them out. Although we didn't
consciously change anything that doesn't mean it didn't get changed.

--
Robert B. Peirce, Venetia, PA 724-941-6883
bob AT peirce-family.com [Mac]
rbp AT cooksonpeirce.com [Office]