Step 1: Connect to the correct server.
The video specifies that the task must be completed on host lfcs00082.
From the candidate terminal, connect using:
ssh lfcs00082
This establishes an SSH session with the server where the cron job must be configured.
Step 2: Verify that the user james exists.
Execute:
id james
This displays the user's UID, primary GID, and group memberships.
An example of valid output is:
uid=1001(james) gid=1001(james) groups=1001(james)
The exact numerical IDs may differ. The important requirement is that the user james exists.
Step 3: Verify that the script exists.
Execute:
ls -l /home/james/bin/scanfiles.sh
This verifies the script's location, ownership, and permissions.
You can also check whether james has execute permission:
sudo -u james test -x /home/james/bin/scanfiles.sh
echo $?
An exit status of 0 confirms that the user can execute the script. If the check fails, investigate file and directory permissions.
The task does not require creating or modifying the script.
Step 4: Open the crontab for user james.
Execute:
sudo crontab -u james -e
- sudo provides the privileges needed to manage another user's crontab.
- crontab manages scheduled cron jobs.
- -u james selects the crontab belonging to user james.
- -e opens the selected crontab in a text editor.
This is important because the task explicitly requires scheduling the job for james, not for root or the candidate account.
Step 5: Add the cron job.
Insert the following entry into the crontab:
15 17 * * * /home/james/bin/scanfiles.sh > /home/james/report.txt
This is the exact scheduling command required to satisfy the task.
Step 6: Understand the cron expression.
The cron entry contains five scheduling fields followed by the command.
Field Value Description
Minute 15 Execute at minute 15
Hour 17 Execute at 17:00 (5 PM)
Day of month * Every day of the month
Month * Every month
Day of week * Every day of the week
Therefore, the script executes once daily at 17:15 according to the cron daemon's configured timezone.
The command portion is:
/home/james/bin/scanfiles.sh > /home/james/report.txt
It consists of:
- /home/james/bin/scanfiles.sh — the executable script.
- > — the shell's STDOUT redirection operator.
- /home/james/report.txt — the destination file for standard output.
The > operator creates the report file if it does not exist and the user has permission. If it exists, the output is overwritten on each execution.
Do not replace > with > > because > > appends output. Also, do not use 2 > & 1, because the task requests STDOUT only, not STDERR.
Step 7: Save the crontab.
If the crontab opens in Vim:
1. Press i to enter insert mode.
2. Add the cron entry.
3. Press Esc.
4. Type :wq and press Enter.
If it opens in Nano, press Ctrl+O, Enter, then Ctrl+X.
Once saved, the crontab command installs the updated schedule automatically.
Step 8: Verify the installed cron job.
Execute:
sudo crontab -u james -l
The output must include:
15 17 * * * /home/james/bin/scanfiles.sh > /home/james/report.txt
This verifies that the job is installed under the correct user account.
Step 9: Check the cron service.
On the Ubuntu system shown in the recording, execute:
systemctl status cron
The service should report:
Active: active (running)
If it is inactive, start it:
sudo systemctl start cron
To check whether the service is enabled for startup:
systemctl is-enabled cron
If cron is disabled and must remain operational after reboot, enable it:
sudo systemctl enable cron
Step 10: Verify the final configuration.
Run:
sudo crontab -u james -l
sudo -u james test -x /home/james/bin/scanfiles.sh
systemctl is-active cron
These commands verify that:
1. The required cron entry belongs to james.
2. The script is executable by james.
3. The cron service is active.
The report file is not necessarily present immediately after installing the cron entry. It will be created or overwritten when the scheduled job executes successfully.
Final Solution
The essential command is:
sudo crontab -u james -e
Add:
15 17 * * * /home/james/bin/scanfiles.sh > /home/james/report.txt
Then verify:
sudo crontab -u james -l
Technical verification: This solution follows the documented Linux crontab(1) and crontab(5) syntax. A user-specific crontab executes commands under the owner's account and uses five scheduling fields followed by the command.
Linux manual page
+1
Expected result: The script runs every day at 17:15 as james, directing its standard output to /home/james/report.txt. The schedule's configuration is verified; actual runtime success depends on the script, its permissions, and the target system.
