NAME

     crontab — maintain crontab files for individual users

SYNOPSIS

     crontab [-u user] [newtab]
     crontab -l [-u user]
     crontab -r [-i] [-u user]
     crontab -e [-u user]
     crontab -s
     crontab -t line
     crontab -T crontab

DESCRIPTION

     crontab lets users install, uninstall, view, and edit recurrent jobs in the crontab(5)
     format, as well as pre-view and convert them to systemd.timer(5) pairs.  root may also spy
     on who which users have installed crontabs.

     Each user may have their own crontab, but this can be limited by /etc/cron.allow to create
     an explicit allow-list or /etc/cron.deny to deny access to individual users.

     Crontabs are checked before installing — if they are found to be invalid, installation is
     aborted and a summary of errors is written to the standard error stream.

OPTIONS

     (by default)     replace the user's crontab from newtab (standard input stream if "-", the
                      default).
     -l, --list       Copy user's crontab to the standard output stream, or error if there is
                      none.
     -r, --remove     Remove user's crontab.
     -i, --ask        Output a confirmation prompt before doing so.
     -e, --edit       Let user edit crontab, install when they're done.
     -s, --show       List which users have a crontab installed.  Nonexistent users are warned
                      about to the standard error stream.  Only root can do this.
     -t, --translate  Validate and translate a crontab(5) line into a native systemd.timer(5)
                      pair to the standard output stream.
     -T, --test       Validate whether crontab is a valid crontab(5) file.

     -u, --user=user  Edit user's crontab instead of the currently-logged-in user's.  Only root
                      can do this, and they should be careful about using crontab without this
                      option — the current user is determined by $LOGNAME, $USER, $LNAME
                      $USERNAME, and only then by the real UID!

FILES

     /etc/cron.allow           If exists, only users listed here (one username per line) can
                               install their own crontabs.  Otherwise, everyone can.
     /etc/cron.deny            Users listed here aren't allowed to install their own crontabs.
     /var/spool/cron/crontabs  Crontabs live here.

ENVIRONMENT

     EDITOR, VISUAL, editor, vim, nano, and mcedit are tried, in order, when using -e.

SEE ALSO

     crontab(5), systemd.cron(7) for a summary of the format and how to tweak installed cronjobs
     — systemctl edit cron-schedule.{timer|service}.

LIMITATIONS

     SELinux is not supported.