Scheduling a process to run automatically at a certain date and time can be quite useful. This is achieved with the at command. The at command reads a series of commands from the standard input and lumps them together into one single at-job to be executed at some point in the future.
Syntax: at [-V] [-q queue] [-f file] [-mkdv] [-t time]
You can man at to find out about all the options.
Here is an example:
michael@michael-laptop:~$ at -mv 4:44 sep 21 Wed Sep 21 04:44:00 2011 warning: commands will be executed using /bin/sh at> g++ main.cpp -o test at> nohup ./test & at>job 13 at Wed Sep 21 04:44:00 2011 michael@michael-laptop:~$
-m option mails the user when the at-job has been executed. The -v option simply produces the first line i.e. displays when the job will be executed. One does not write CTRL+D here on a new line.
To see whats at-jobs have been scheduled, enter atq (alternatively at -l
michael@michael-laptop:~$ atq 13 Wed Sep 21 04:44:00 2011 a michael michael@michael-laptop:~$ at -l 13 Wed Sep 21 04:44:00 2011 a michael michael@michael-laptop:~$
To remove this job, enter atrm and the ID:
michael@michael-laptop:~$ atrm 13 michael@michael-laptop:~$ atq michael@michael-laptop:~$
The at-job inherits the environment of the terminal that schedules it and hence contains the same working directory and environment variables. If at some point in the future you forget what commands an at-job contains, you can view them with at -c job. This lists the environment variables of the at-job and contains the commands at the bottom.