---
name: "tech-cron-as-code-install-script"
title: "Host cron lives in-repo behind an install script"
description: "Reproducible host jobs are committed crontab snippets plus an idempotent installer, not hand-edited crontab"
type: "tech"
category: "workflow"
tags: ["cron", "ops", "reproducibility"]
related: ["[[tech-eve-filesystem-agents]]"]
---
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.