KB / Memory / tech-cron-as-code-install-script
Host cron lives in-repo behind an install script
Reproducible host jobs are committed crontab snippets plus an idempotent installer, not hand-edited crontab
Durable host jobs belong in the repo: a cron.lines (or equivalent) file plus
an installer that wraps the block in BEGIN/END markers, replaces any prior
block, and can --remove. Hand-editing crontab -e is not reproducible on the
next machine.
How to apply: new machine runs the installer; do not copy crontab lines from
chat. When substituting command strings into crontab, do not use sed s|||
if the replacement contains & (2>&1) — sed treats & as the match.
Why: a missing or corrupted redirect silently drops job logs.