Subject: Re: [bug#40950] [PATCH] mcron, create /var/cron/tabs on activation

From: Ludovic Courtès <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 02 May 2020 15:44:35 +0200

Hi Marcin,

Marcin Karpezo <[email-masked]> skribis:

> 2 maj 2020 00:06:16 Ludovic Courtès <[email-masked]>:
>
>> Hi Marcin,
>> Marcin Karpezo <[email-masked]> skribis:
>>
>>
>> > With big rekado help I'm sending you a patch with at least
>> > partially fixes the issue of crontab -e reporting missing
>> > /var/cron/tabs directory.
>> >
>> Unless I’m mistaken, creating /var/cron/tabs will silence “crontab
>> -e”, but those entries will still be ignored because mcron’s crond
>> is not running (IIRC the cron functionality of mcron is separate and
>> requires you to run crond, which we don’t do.)
>> One option would be to write a different service altogether running
>> that daemon and creates /var/cron/tabs like you did.
>> Another option would be to remote the ‘crontab’ program from our
>> ‘mcron’ package to at least avoid disappointments.
>> Thoughts?
>
> Why won't start supporting and running mcron's crond daemon? That way
> guix will finally have normal fully functional cron which will ease
> administration not only on personal machines but also on server
> side. It's nice to have everything defined in one config file but it
> isn't as handy for multiuser setup.

Yeah I agree.  (I personally run a user shepherd, itself starting a user
mcron, but I admit that’s a config not everyone may be willing to
replicate.)

> I think instead of avoiding disappointment it would be better to
> positively surprise the users. I know that guix thrives in what sets
> it apart from other distros, but it's better to keep things standard
> whenever its possible and follow the rule of least
> surprise. Especially if it won't be damaging for the goals of the
> project.

Agreed!

That brings us to my first proposal above: writing a crond service that
runs mcron’s crond.  Would you like to give it a try?

(There’s also scron available.  I think someone had proposed a service
for it, but I can’t find it.)

Thanks,
Ludo’.