cron

Diagnose cron-scheduled task failures in EOS by mapping time expressions to commands.

1|Updated Mar 11, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/antonyfmunoz/OS --skill cron-antonyfmunoz
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: cron
Source: https://github.com/antonyfmunoz/OS/tree/main/skills/tools/cron
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/antonyfmunoz/OS --skill cron-antonyfmunoz

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill includes references (resource) components.

What problem does it solve?

Cron helps you diagnose and correct why scheduled tasks in EOS didn’t run, ran at the wrong time, overlapped, or behaved unexpectedly—without guesswork or risky trial-and-error.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Job scheduling correctness: Understand and verify crontab time expressions, cron-specific gotchas (DST, minimal PATH, working directory), and logging/redirect behavior to ensure jobs actually fire.
  • EOS-safe operational control: Use flock mutual exclusion patterns, budget-capped claude -p shell wrapper practices, and standardized logging to prevent overlap, runaway spend, and invisible failures.
  • Maintenance and orchestration awareness: Audit the EOS daily/weekly schedule (maintenance, morning prep, monitoring, pipeline consolidation) and trace failures by matching cron entries to script behavior and logs.

Quick Start

Use the cron skill to audit a specific failing scheduled entry by asking where it should have run, what command it executed, and which standard EOS checks (cd/log redirects/flock/budget cap/DST/PATH) to validate first.

Frequently Asked Questions about cron

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
Why does my cron scheduled job not run or execute at the wrong time?

Cron scheduled jobs fail when crontab time expressions contain syntax errors or ignore environment gotchas like DST shifts and minimal PATH. Verify the time expression, working directory, and stderr/stdout redirects to diagnose execution failures.

How do I debug overlapping scheduled tasks and invisible failures in crontab?

Debug overlapping scheduled tasks by applying flock-based mutual exclusion to prevent concurrent runs and standardizing stderr/stdout logging. This ensures failures are visible and prevents overlap in orchestration jobs.

What is the best way to safely run claude -p commands on a schedule without overspending?

Safely run scheduled claude -p commands by wrapping them in bash scripts with budget caps. This prevents runaway spend during automated data collection or weekly review jobs.

How do I audit a failing scheduled maintenance job in EOS?

Audit failing EOS scheduled maintenance jobs by matching cron entries to script behavior and logs. Trace failures by validating standard checks like working directory, log redirects, and flock locking.

Does my crontab environment need explicit working directory handling for bash wrappers?

Crontab environments require explicit working directory handling for bash wrappers because cron runs with a minimal PATH. Without explicit cd commands, Python scripts and Docker commands fail to locate dependencies.