Re: Something Odd - "top" Delivers Nada When Run By Crontab

On 13/07/2026 00:25, c186282 wrote:
> On 7/11/26 23:36, Rich wrote:
>> c186282 <[email protected]> wrote:
>>> On 7/11/26 02:40, rbowman wrote:
>>>> On Fri, 10 Jul 2026 23:57:54 -0400, c186282 wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Wrote a short Python script that uses os.system() to run 'top' ...
>>>>> redirecting the output to a file. We then clean-up the weird chars in
>>>>> the file and append it to an ongoing log file.
>>>>
>>>> I think we've been here before...
>>>>
>>>> https://docs.python.org/3/library/subprocess.html
>>>>
>>>> Yes, it's one of those hateful, newfangled functions that might work 
>>>> for
>>>> you.
>>>
>>>    Um ... there are LOTS of 'monitoring' apps for Linux
>>>    at this point - just did a survey a couple of days
>>>    ago. Most are serious OVER-kill. They also tend to
>>>    record SO much shit that you'll never be able to find
>>>    YOUR particular problem in the mess.
>>>
>>>    Anyway, the "-b" param to 'top' did do the trick.
>>>    Still not sure why evoking from the CL is so different
>>>    from evoking via crontab - but that's how it is.
>>
>> Because without -b, top expects to be connected to a tty.  And when
>> running from a crontab, there is no tty.  With no tty, top didn't
>> bother doing anything but exiting.
>>
>> This is basic Unix 101 level stuff.
> 
>    Some were late to class that day  :-)
> 
> 
More relevantly,
- no one knows all of Unix/Linux
- some peoples experience goes very deep is some areas
- conversely those areas having been been completely irrelevant and 
never explored is someone else's life experience.

For example, I never had any need whatsoever to type 'emacs' on a 
command line
Other peoples days (if their session was not still active) did that as 
the first thing in the morning.

It being some primitive approximation to a multi tasking windows session.


> 
> 

-- 
"First, find out who are the people you can not criticise. They are your 
oppressors."
      - George Orwell