doc/kcontrol/index.docbook

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0006
0007 <article id="kcron" lang="&language;">
0008 <title>Task Scheduler</title>
0009
0010 <articleinfo>
0011 <authorgroup>
0012 <author>
0013 <firstname>Morgan</firstname>
0014 <othername>N.</othername>
0015 <surname>Sandquist</surname>
0016 <affiliation><address>&Morgan.N.Sandquist.mail;</address>
0017 </affiliation>
0018 </author>
0019
0020 <othercredit role="developer">
0021 <firstname>Gary</firstname>
0022 <surname>Meyer</surname>
0023 <affiliation><address>&Gary.Meyer.mail;</address>
0024 </affiliation>
0025 <contrib>Developer</contrib>
0026 </othercredit>
0027
0028 <othercredit role="reviewer">
0029 <firstname>Lauri</firstname>
0030 <surname>Watts</surname>
0031 <affiliation><address>&Lauri.Watts.mail;</address>
0032 </affiliation>
0033 <contrib>Reviewer</contrib>
0034 </othercredit>
0035
0036 <!-- TRANS:ROLES_OF_TRANSLATORS -->
0037
0038 </authorgroup>
0039
0040 <copyright>
0041 <year>2000</year>
0042 <holder>&Morgan.N.Sandquist;</holder>
0043 </copyright>
0044
0045 <date>2017-01-12</date>
0046 <releaseinfo>Applications 16.12</releaseinfo>
0047
0048 <keywordset>
0049 <keyword>KDE</keyword>
0050 <keyword>cron</keyword>
0051 <keyword>crontab</keyword>
0052 <keyword>scheduler</keyword>
0053 </keywordset>
0054
0055 </articleinfo>
0056
0057 <sect1 id="introduction">
0058 <title>Introduction</title>
0059
0060 <para>This is a module for scheduling programs to run in the
0061 background. It is a graphical user interface to <command>cron</command>,
0062 the &UNIX; system scheduler.</para>
0063
0064 <important><para>Don't forget to tell your system to start the
0065 <filename>crond</filename> cron daemon first, or the settings in this
0066 module will not work.</para></important>
0067
0068 <sect2 id="kcron-start-up">
0069 <title>Start Up</title>
0070
0071 <para>When you start this module you will see a summarized view of existing
0072 scheduled tasks and associated environment variables. If you are running
0073 as the root user, you will see these items for all users on the computer
0074 as well as the system scheduled tasks.</para>
0075 <!--admin mode-->
0076 <screenshot>
0077 <screeninfo>start up</screeninfo>
0078 <mediaobject>
0079 <imageobject>
0080 <imagedata fileref="kcronstart.png" format="PNG"/></imageobject>
0081 <textobject><phrase>start up</phrase></textobject>
0082 </mediaobject>
0083 </screenshot>
0084
0085 <sect3>
0086 <title>Scheduled Tasks</title>
0087
0088 <para>Scheduled tasks appear under a <guilabel>Tasks</guilabel>
0089 list. For each scheduled task, the following items are displayed:</para>
0090
0091 <variablelist>
0092
0093 <!-- system cron first column User=root-->
0094 <varlistentry>
0095 <term><guilabel>Scheduling</guilabel></term>
0096 <listitem><para>In this column either "@reboot" for task schedules at boot or
0097 the crontab entry is displayed.</para></listitem>
0098 </varlistentry>
0099 <varlistentry>
0100 <term><guilabel>Command</guilabel></term>
0101 <listitem><para>Program file and parameters.</para></listitem>
0102 </varlistentry>
0103 <varlistentry>
0104 <term><guilabel>Status</guilabel></term>
0105 <listitem><para>Enabled or Disabled.</para></listitem>
0106 </varlistentry>
0107 <varlistentry>
0108 <term><guilabel>Description</guilabel></term>
0109 <listitem><para>A description for the task, such as its
0110 purpose.</para></listitem>
0111 </varlistentry>
0112 <varlistentry>
0113 <term><guilabel>Scheduling Details</guilabel></term>
0114 <listitem><para>Natural language description of scheduled
0115 task.</para></listitem>
0116 </varlistentry>
0117 </variablelist>
0118
0119 </sect3>
0120
0121 <sect3>
0122 <title>Environment Variables</title>
0123
0124 <para>Environment variables appear in the
0125 <guilabel>Environment Variables</guilabel> list. For each environment variable,
0126 the following are displayed: </para>
0127
0128 <variablelist>
0129 <varlistentry>
0130 <term><guilabel>Variable</guilabel></term>
0131 <listitem><para>Variable name.</para></listitem>
0132 </varlistentry>
0133 <varlistentry>
0134 <term><guilabel>Value</guilabel></term>
0135 <listitem><para>Variable value.</para></listitem>
0136 </varlistentry>
0137 <varlistentry>
0138 <term><guilabel>Status</guilabel></term>
0139 <listitem><para>Enabled or Disabled.</para></listitem>
0140 </varlistentry>
0141 <varlistentry>
0142 <term><guilabel>Comment</guilabel></term>
0143 <listitem><para>Natural language description of variable.</para></listitem>
0144 </varlistentry>
0145 </variablelist>
0146
0147 <para>Environment variables appearing here will override any existing
0148 environment variable for all scheduled tasks.</para>
0149
0150 </sect3>
0151 </sect2>
0152
0153 <sect2 id="new-task">
0154 <title>Adding Scheduled Tasks</title>
0155
0156 <para>To create a new scheduled task, click the <guibutton>New Task...</guibutton>
0157 button. Alternatively, you can select this action from the
0158 <mousebutton>right</mousebutton> mouse button context menu.</para>
0159
0160 <sect3>
0161 <title>The Edit Task Dialog</title>
0162
0163 <screenshot>
0164 <screeninfo><guilabel>Edit Task</guilabel> dialog.</screeninfo>
0165 <mediaobject>
0166 <imageobject><imagedata fileref="newtask.png" format="PNG"/></imageobject>
0167 <textobject><phrase><guilabel>Edit Task</guilabel> dialog</phrase></textobject>
0168 </mediaobject>
0169 </screenshot>
0170
0171 <variablelist>
0172 <varlistentry>
0173 <term><guilabel>Command</guilabel></term>
0174 <listitem><para>Enter the name of the program. You can specify either a
0175 relative path or absolute path. If you want to look up the program, click
0176 <guiicon>Browse</guiicon> icon.</para>
0177 </listitem>
0178 </varlistentry>
0179 <varlistentry>
0180 <term><guilabel>Comment</guilabel></term>
0181 <listitem><para>Enter a description of the task to schedule.</para>
0182 </listitem>
0183 </varlistentry>
0184 <varlistentry>
0185 <term><guibutton>Enable this task</guibutton></term>
0186 <listitem><para>To enable or disable the task, select or de-select
0187 this button.</para>
0188 </listitem>
0189 </varlistentry>
0190
0191 <varlistentry>
0192 <term><guibutton>Run at system bootup</guibutton></term>
0193 <listitem>
0194 <para>Check this button to run the task at system bootup.</para>
0195 </listitem>
0196 </varlistentry>
0197
0198 <varlistentry>
0199 <term><guibutton>Run every day</guibutton></term>
0200 <listitem>
0201 <para>If you want to schedule the task to run daily, select this button.</para>
0202 </listitem>
0203 </varlistentry>
0204
0205 <varlistentry>
0206 <term><guilabel>Months</guilabel></term>
0207 <listitem><para>Select the months during which the task is to be
0208 scheduled.</para>
0209 </listitem>
0210 </varlistentry>
0211 <varlistentry>
0212 <term><guilabel>Days of Month</guilabel></term>
0213 <listitem><para>Select the days of the month on which the task is to be
0214 scheduled.</para>
0215 </listitem>
0216 </varlistentry>
0217 <varlistentry>
0218 <term><guilabel>Days of Week</guilabel></term>
0219 <listitem><para>Select the days of the week on which the task is to be
0220 scheduled.</para>
0221 </listitem>
0222 </varlistentry>
0223 <varlistentry>
0224 <term><guilabel>Hours</guilabel></term>
0225 <listitem><para>Select the hours on which the task is to be
0226 scheduled.</para></listitem>
0227 </varlistentry>
0228 <varlistentry>
0229 <term><guilabel>Minutes</guilabel></term>
0230 <listitem><para>Select the minute at which the task is to be scheduled. <command>cron</command>
0231 does not support scheduling tasks at smaller than one minute intervals.</para>
0232 </listitem>
0233 </varlistentry>
0234 <varlistentry>
0235 <term><guibutton>OK</guibutton></term>
0236 <listitem><para>Completes the creation of this task.</para>
0237 </listitem>
0238 </varlistentry>
0239 <varlistentry>
0240 <term><guibutton>Cancel</guibutton></term>
0241 <listitem><para>Cancels the creation of this task.</para>
0242 </listitem>
0243 </varlistentry>
0244 </variablelist>
0245
0246 <para>If you select both days of the month, and days of the week, the
0247 task will run when either condition is met. For instance, if you select
0248 the 1st and 15th, and select Sunday, the program will be run every 1st
0249 and 15th of the selected months (regardless of day of week) as well as
0250 every Sunday of the selected months (regardless of day of the
0251 month).</para>
0252
0253 <para>The scheduled task is not actually set up until the
0254  <filename>crontab</filename> has been saved.</para>
0255
0256 </sect3>
0257 </sect2>
0258
0259 <sect2 id="manage-tasks">
0260 <title>Managing Scheduled Tasks</title>
0261
0262 <para>As with creating new tasks, changes to tasks will not actually be
0263 made until the <filename>crontab</filename> is saved.</para>
0264
0265 <para>Use the buttons at the right of the task list to modify, delete,
0266 print or run a selected task now. You reach all these actions from the
0267 context menu as well. Additionally the context menu provides actions to
0268 cut, copy and paste tasks.</para>
0269
0270 </sect2>
0271
0272 <sect2 id="new-variable">
0273 <title>Adding Environment Variables</title>
0274
0275 <para>To create a new environment variable, click the
0276 <guibutton>New Variable...</guibutton> button.</para>
0277
0278 <para>Alternatively, you can use the <mousebutton>right</mousebutton>
0279 mouse button menu to choose this action.</para>
0280
0281 <sect3>
0282 <title>The Edit Variable dialog</title>
0283
0284 <screenshot>
0285 <screeninfo><guilabel>Edit Variable</guilabel> dialog.</screeninfo>
0286 <mediaobject>
0287 <imageobject><imagedata fileref="newvariable.png" format="PNG"/></imageobject>
0288 <textobject><phrase><guilabel>Edit Variable</guilabel>
0289 dialog.</phrase></textobject>
0290 </mediaobject>
0291 </screenshot>
0292
0293 <variablelist>
0294 <varlistentry>
0295 <term><guilabel>Variable</guilabel></term>
0296 <listitem><para>Enter the environment variable name. You can use the drop down
0297 list box to select from the most common environment variables used by scheduled
0298 tasks. Those include:</para>
0299
0300 <variablelist>
0301
0302 <varlistentry>
0303 <term><guimenuitem>HOME</guimenuitem></term>
0304 <listitem><para>To be used instead of the default user's home
0305 folder.</para></listitem>
0306 </varlistentry>
0307
0308 <varlistentry>
0309 <term><guimenuitem>MAILTO</guimenuitem></term>
0310 <listitem><para>To send email output to an email address other than the user's
0311 default email address.</para></listitem>
0312 </varlistentry>
0313
0314 <varlistentry>
0315 <term><guimenuitem>PATH</guimenuitem></term>
0316 <listitem><para>To be used to search folders for program
0317 files.</para></listitem>
0318 </varlistentry>
0319
0320 <varlistentry>
0321 <term><guimenuitem>SHELL</guimenuitem></term>
0322 <listitem><para>To be used instead of the user's default
0323 value.</para></listitem>
0324 </varlistentry>
0325
0326 <varlistentry>
0327 <term><guimenuitem>LD_CONFIG_PATH</guimenuitem></term>
0328 <listitem><para>The location of dynamic libraries. This allows cron jobs to execute
0329 applications which have libraries they need to run installed outside the system library path.</para></listitem>
0330 </varlistentry>
0331
0332 </variablelist>
0333 </listitem>
0334 </varlistentry>
0335 <varlistentry>
0336 <term><guilabel>Value</guilabel></term>
0337 <listitem><para>Enter the environment variable value.</para></listitem>
0338 </varlistentry>
0339 <varlistentry>
0340 <term><guilabel>Comment</guilabel></term>
0341 <listitem><para>Enter a description for the environment variable, such as its
0342 purpose.</para></listitem>
0343 </varlistentry>
0344 <varlistentry>
0345 <term><guilabel>Enable this variable</guilabel></term>
0346 <listitem>
0347 <para>To enable or disable the variable, select or de-select
0348 this button.</para>
0349 </listitem>
0350 </varlistentry>
0351 <varlistentry>
0352 <term><guibutton>OK</guibutton></term>
0353 <listitem>
0354 <para>Completes the setting of this variable.</para>
0355 </listitem>
0356 </varlistentry>
0357 <varlistentry>
0358 <term><guibutton>Cancel</guibutton></term>
0359 <listitem>
0360 <para>Cancels the setting of this variable.</para>
0361 </listitem>
0362 </varlistentry>
0363 </variablelist>
0364
0365 <para>The environment variable is not actually set up until the
0366 <filename>crontab</filename> has been saved.</para>
0367
0368 </sect3>
0369 </sect2>
0370
0371 <sect2 id="manage-variables">
0372 <title>Managing Environment Variables</title>
0373
0374 <note><para>As with creating new variables, changes to variables will
0375 not actually be made until the <filename>crontab</filename> is
0376 saved.</para></note>
0377
0378 <para>Use the buttons at the right of the variable list to modify or delete
0379 a selected variable. You reach all these actions from the
0380 context menu as well. Additionally the context menu provides actions to
0381 cut, copy and paste variables.</para>
0382
0383 </sect2>
0384 </sect1>
0385 </article>
0386
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