cron-wrapper

Generic cron script wrapper with lock file management and stale lock detection.

Purpose

Prevents overlapping executions of cron jobs and handles stuck processes.

Follows Linux convention: place your actual scripts in /opt or /usr/local/bin, then use wrapper scripts in cron to call them. This wrapper avoids putting scripts directly in cron directories like /etc/cron.daily.

Usage

1. Copy cron-wrapper to a new name
2. Set TARGET_SCRIPT to your script path
3. Configure environment variables as needed
4. chmod +x the wrapper
5. Call from cron or run manually

Configuration

• TARGET_SCRIPT – Path to script to execute (required)
• STALE_LOCK_THRESHOLD_SECONDS – Lock timeout in seconds (default: 3600)

Features

• Lock file with automatic stale detection
• Timestamp-based lock validation
• Clean exit handling
• Logging with timestamps
• Export of environment variables to target script