At command

[linuxonbute]

I am having problems with this command.
I have a python script which I have been playing with and what it does is mail me a message.
Now if I run it directly it works fine but I wanted a regular reminder so I thought I might use the 'at' command

To test it out I tried these:
at -t 03271658 `./runmyscript.py`
at -t 03271658 `/home/norman/runmyscript.py`
at -t 03271700 -f ./runmyscript.py
at -t 03271700 -f /home/norman/runmyscript.py
but none of them work.

I can do the following:

at now + 1 min `echo Hello> ./hello`warning: commands will be executed using /bin/sh
at> ^C

cat hello
Hello

at now + 1 min `echo goodbye> ./hello`
warning: commands will be executed using /bin/sh
at> ^C
cat hello
goodbye

I know there are other ways but I would like to get this working. Any ideas please?

[matt_symes]

Hi

Two points; use ctrl + d to schedule the job, not ctrl + c. This will send the EOT character to at. Be aware it's using sh and not bash to run any scripts.

matthew-S206:/home/matthew % at now + 1 min
warning: commands will be executed using /bin/sh
at> echo hello > /home/matthew/test1
at> <EOT>
job 14 at Wed Mar 27 20:17:00 2013
matthew-S206:/home/matthew % cat test1
hello
matthew-S206:/home/matthew %

Also the at command is similar to cron in that it does not have the environment your user has.

Let me give you an example.

To play the gangnam style video, i can navigate into my Music directory and type

matthew-S206:/home/matthew/Music % pwd
/home/matthew/Music
matthew-S206:/home/matthew/Music % mplayer PSY_-_GANGNAM_STYLE_강남스타일_M_V-9bZkp7q19f0.mp4

This will quite happily play the video.

However this, using at, this will not work

matthew-S206:/home/matthew/Music % at now + 1 min                                            
warning: commands will be executed using /bin/sh
at> mplayer PSY_-_GANGNAM_STYLE_강남스타일_M_V-9bZkp7q19f0.mp4
at> <EOT>
job 15 at Wed Mar 27 20:22:00 2013
matthew-S206:/home/matthew/Music %

That is because it is missing some of my environment.

This, however, will run the video

matthew-S206:/home/matthew % at now + 1 min
warning: commands will be executed using /bin/sh
at> DISPLAY=:0 /usr/bin/mplayer /home/matthew/Music/PSY_-_GANGNAM_STYLE_강남스타일_M_V-9bZkp7q19f0.mp4
at> <EOT>
job 16 at Wed Mar 27 20:23:00 2013
matthew-S206:/home/matthew %

I have supplied full paths and the DISPLAY environmental variable. Make sure you are supplying everything at needs to run your script

I hope that helps.

Incedently, i have used at and mplayer as an alarm clock in the past.

EDIT:

I think you know this from your first post but i thought i would mention it for any others looking at this thread who do not know.

You can pipe commands into at.

echo DISPLAY=:0 /usr/bin/mplayer /home/matthew/Music/PSY_-_GANGNAM_STYLE_강남스타일_M_V-9bZkp7q19f0.mp4 | at now + 1 min

Kind regards

[linuxonbute]

Thanks Matt
/home/norman/runmyscript.py | at -t 03272233
did the job.
I hadn't thought about the environment