In this section, we will cover some techniques for managing tasks that normally require being run more than once. First, we will begin with the various cron directories. Next, we will work with crontab. Finally, we will then cover anacron. The highlight will be the fact that they are not a replacement for each other, but rather they play key roles in managing tasks within a Linux system.
Managing automation using cron, crontab, and anacron
Cron
As we saw earlier, the at utility only runs a task once. There are times when we need to run a task multiple times. It is cumbersome having to be present to type a task with the at utility each time we want to execute a given job. For instance, backups are one of the most common tasks...