Cron Scheduler

Automate recurring tasks and scheduled maintenance in PteroCA.

Cron Job Schedule

The pteroca:cron:schedule command is a critical system command designed to execute other scheduled commands at defined intervals. It serves as a facade, running specific system maintenance commands that ensure the smooth operation of the panel. This command is intended to be added to a crontab (or a crontab alternative) to automate recurring tasks.

• Command: pteroca:cron:schedule

• Alias: app:cron-job-schedule (deprecated, removed in v1.0.0)

For detailed instructions on adding this command to your crontab, refer to the Crontab Configuration section in the documentation.

Examples

# Recommended (v0.6+)
php bin/console pteroca:cron:schedule

# Deprecated (still works until v1.0.0)
php bin/console app:cron-job-schedule

Scheduled Commands

Commands executed by the scheduler:

Every Minute

• pteroca:server:suspend-unpaid - Suspends servers for users with unpaid balances

• pteroca:plugin:cron:run - Executes due plugin cron tasks

Hourly

• pteroca:system:cleanup-tokens - Deletes expired purchase tokens

• pteroca:server:delete-inactive - Deletes inactive servers (if enabled)

Daily/As Configured

• pteroca:system:cleanup-logs - Deletes old logs (if enabled)

Automating with Crontab

To ensure this command runs automatically, add it to your crontab (or an alternative scheduling system). For example, to run this command every minute, use the following crontab configuration:

# Recommended (v0.6+)
* * * * * php /var/www/pteroca/bin/console pteroca:cron:schedule >> /dev/null 2>&1

# Deprecated (still works until v1.0.0)
* * * * * php /var/www/pteroca/bin/console app:cron-job-schedule >> /dev/null 2>&1

Important: Make sure to update your crontab to use pteroca:cron:schedule before upgrading to v1.0.0!

Docker Environment

If you're running PteroCA in Docker, add the cron command to your host's crontab:

# Docker environment
* * * * * php /var/www/pteroca/bin/console pteroca:cron:schedule >> /dev/null 2>&1

Or set up a cron container in your docker-compose.yml:

services:
  cron:
    image: your-pteroca-image
    command: >
      sh -c "
      while true; do
        php /var/www/pteroca/bin/console pteroca:cron:schedule
        sleep 60
      done
      "
    volumes_from:
      - web
    depends_on:
      - web
      - db

Setting Up Crontab

Step 1: Open Crontab Editor

crontab -e

Step 2: Add the Cron Entry

Add one of the following lines depending on your setup:

Standalone Installation:

* * * * * cd /var/www/pteroca && php bin/console pteroca:cron:schedule >> /dev/null 2>&1

Docker Installation:

* * * * * php /var/www/pteroca/bin/console pteroca:cron:schedule >> /dev/null 2>&1

Step 3: Save and Exit

The cron daemon will automatically pick up the new schedule.

Verifying Cron Setup

Check Crontab

# List current user's cron jobs
crontab -l

Check System Logs

# View cron log (location varies by system)
grep CRON /var/log/syslog
tail -f /var/log/cron

Test Manually

# Run the command manually to ensure it works
php bin/console pteroca:cron:schedule

Troubleshooting

Cron Not Running

Check cron service:

sudo systemctl status cron    # Debian/Ubuntu
sudo systemctl status crond   # CentOS/RHEL

Restart cron service:

sudo systemctl restart cron    # Debian/Ubuntu
sudo systemctl restart crond   # CentOS/RHEL

Commands Not Executing

Check file permissions:

ls -la /var/www/pteroca/bin/console
# Should be executable: -rwxr-xr-x

Make console executable:

chmod +x /var/www/pteroca/bin/console

Plugin Cron Tasks Not Running

List plugin cron tasks:

php bin/console pteroca:plugin:cron:list

Check if plugins are enabled:

php bin/console pteroca:plugin:list --state=enabled

Manually run plugin cron tasks:

php bin/console pteroca:plugin:cron:run --dry-run

Best Practices

1. Use absolute paths - Always use full paths to PHP and the console script

2. Redirect output - Use >> /dev/null 2>&1 to suppress output

3. Test first - Run commands manually before adding to crontab

4. Monitor logs - Check system logs and PteroCA logs regularly

5. Update commands - Switch to new pteroca:* namespace before v1.0.0

Related Guides

• CLI Commands Overview - Command reference home

• Server Management Commands - Automated server management

• System Commands - Automated maintenance

• Plugin Commands - Plugin cron tasks

• Crontab Configuration - Detailed setup guide