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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11To find out why a cron job failed, first check where your system logs cron activity, then establish whether cron launched the command. On current Ubuntu and Debian defaults, start with /var/log/syslog; elsewhere, the journal or a differently configured syslog destination may be the right place. A scheduler record shows an attempted launch, while the command’s output, mail, or journal entries can reveal what went wrong.
1. Identify your cron implementation and logging destination
There is no universal cron log filename. Ubuntu Community Help Wiki says current Ubuntu and Debian defaults record crontab edits and job runs in /var/log/syslog. Debian’s cron(8) manual says cron sends messages to the syslog facility named cron; the system’s logging rules determine which file, if any, receives that facility. Ubuntu Community Help Wiki: CronHowto and Debian cron(8) manual.
Before applying a service name or file path from another system, identify the distribution and release, the installed scheduler, and the active logging stack. Traditional cron, Debian’s systemd-cron package, and other implementations do not necessarily expose the same diagnostics. A Red Hat support case documents an rsyslog failure affecting expected log files on RHEL 7; that example is specific to RHEL 7, but illustrates why an absent file does not prove that no job ran. Red Hat: rsyslog not logging to /var/log/cron or other standard log files.
2. Search for scheduler activity
On current Ubuntu and Debian defaults, search /var/log/syslog for the relevant time and job or account. On a journal-backed system, inspect the locally applicable service or identifier. For example, use journalctl -u cron only if the unit on your host is actually named cron.
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sudo grep -i cron /var/log/syslog
sudo journalctl -u cron --since "today"Adjust the time window and service name to match the host. Debian’s classic cron logs through syslog, while Debian’s systemd-cron package documents job output in the journal. If neither command shows records, check whether cron messages are routed elsewhere and whether the logging daemon is working before concluding that the job never ran. Debian systemd-cron crontab(5) manual.
3. Confirm the job is installed for the intended account
User crontab
Run this as the account that owns the job to inspect its crontab:
crontab -lA user crontab does not include a username field. Use the crontab command to manage it rather than editing the spool file directly.
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System crontab or /etc/cron.d entry
Inspect the relevant /etc/crontab or /etc/cron.d/ file. Unlike a user crontab, a system crontab includes the run-as username after the schedule fields. A line written for one file type but placed in the other can therefore be misinterpreted. Debian also documents ownership, write-permission, and filename requirements for /etc/cron.d entries; check the installed package’s documentation for its exact rules. Debian cron(8) manual.
Verify that the entry is still present, its schedule fields express the intended time, and the run-as account can execute the command and access the files it needs.
4. Decide whether cron failed to launch the job or the command failed
No matching scheduler record
Check that the entry is in the intended crontab, the schedule is valid, the expected account owns or runs it, and the daemon is active. Then check the server’s clock and timezone, followed by log routing. A missing entry in one log file alone is inconclusive: the file may not receive cron messages, or the logging service may not be writing as expected.
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A matching launch record is present
A launch record establishes that the scheduler attempted to run the command; it does not establish that the command completed successfully. Turn to the job’s standard output and error, mail or journal output, and the program’s own logs. Debian cron supports logging job starts, ends, and failed exit statuses depending on configuration; its manual says errors are logged regardless of the configured log level. Debian cron(8) manual.
5. Capture the command’s output
Mail from traditional cron
Traditional cron sends command output by mail to the crontab owner, or to the recipient configured with MAILTO. This is useful only if the machine has a working mail route and the recipient checks that mailbox. Debian cron(8) manual.
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Redirect standard output and error to a file
For a temporary diagnostic, append both output streams to a file the job’s account can write:
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* * * * * /absolute/path/to/script >> /absolute/path/to/cron-job.log 2>&1Choose an appropriate location, avoid recording secrets, and arrange to rotate or otherwise manage the file so it does not grow indefinitely. After diagnosing the issue, return the schedule and logging to the level appropriate for normal operation.
Output under Debian systemd-cron
Debian’s systemd-cron package documents journal-backed job output and failure mail that can include systemctl status and the full journal log for that run. Its CRON_MAIL_SUCCESS and CRON_MAIL_FORMAT settings belong to that package; do not assume they apply to classic cron. Debian systemd-cron crontab(5) manual.
6. Check paths, environment, permissions, and command syntax
Cron commonly runs with a smaller environment than an interactive shell. If a command works in a terminal but not in cron, specify absolute paths to programs and files, and declare the environment variables the job needs in its crontab or script. Also verify the script’s interpreter, executable permissions, file access, and assumptions about its working directory. Ubuntu’s cron guidance specifically recommends full paths when cron cannot find a program because its PATH may differ from the shell’s. Ubuntu Community Help Wiki: CronHowto.
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Check shell syntax as well as the schedule. In a cron command, an unescaped % is treated as a newline delimiter; escape it as % when a literal percent sign is required. Review quoting, redirection, and shell features that rely on an interactive login. Ubuntu Community Help Wiki: CronHowto and Debian systemd-cron crontab(5) manual.
7. Check the clock, timezone, and schedule behavior
Compare the server’s current clock and timezone with the schedule’s intended run time. Debian cron uses /etc/localtime for its timezone and documents special handling for small clock changes, including daylight-saving transitions: after a forward shift, some fixed-time jobs skipped by the change may run soon afterward; after a backward shift, jobs in the repeated interval are not run a second time. Do not mistake such schedule behavior for a command failure. Debian cron(8) manual.
If the host uses Debian systemd-cron, its crontab entries may be translated into systemd units. The package manual documents systemctl cat cron-<userid>-* for inspecting generated units; this command is specific to that implementation. Debian systemd-cron crontab(5) manual.
Choose the next diagnostic by what you found
| Finding | Next checks |
|---|---|
| No scheduler entry found | Confirm crontab placement and syntax, account, daemon, schedule and timezone, then verify log routing. |
| Scheduler entry found | Inspect stdout/stderr, mail, journal, or application logs; then check paths, environment, permissions, working directory, and command-specific errors. |
These branches separate a scheduler or logging problem from a command that launched but reported an error. Debian describes cron’s syslog facility directly: “cron logs its action to the syslog facility ‘cron’, and logging may be controlled using the standard syslogd(8) facility.” Debian cron(8) manual.
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