Crontab - Running a Python script with parameters

Crontab - Running a Python script with parameters

Crontab is a useful tool in Unix-like operating systems for scheduling tasks to run automatically at specified intervals. If you want to run a Python script with parameters using crontab, you can set it up as follows:

  • Open the crontab editor:

To open the crontab editor for the current user, use:

crontab -e
  • Add a new cron job:

In the editor, you can add a new line for your script. Let's say you want to run a Python script named script.py with parameters arg1 and arg2 every day at 5:30 AM:

30 5 * * * /usr/bin/python3 /path/to/your/script.py arg1 arg2

A few things to note:

  • Ensure you give the full path to the Python interpreter (/usr/bin/python3 in this case). You can find out the path by running which python3 from the terminal.

  • Specify the full path to your script (/path/to/your/script.py in this case).

  • arg1 and arg2 are the arguments you're passing to the script. Adjust them according to your needs.

  • Save and exit:

After adding the cron job, save and exit the editor. If you're using the default vi editor:

  • Press Esc key
  • Type :wq
  • Press Enter
  • Check your crontab:

To make sure your cron job has been added, you can list all cron jobs for the current user:

crontab -l

And that's it! Your Python script with its parameters will now run automatically at the specified intervals.

Tip: If your script requires any environment variables or paths, consider using a shell script to set up the environment and then call the Python script from within the shell script.

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