Mcron

Introduction | Releases / Download | Administration / Contacts

Introduction to Mcron

The GNU package mcron (Mellor's cron) is a 100% compatible replacement for Vixie cron. It is written in pure Guile, and allows configuration files to be written in scheme (as well as Vixie's original format) for infinite flexibility in specifying when jobs should be run. Mcron was written by Dale Mellor (see his personal web pages).

Mcron was proposed to the FSF (2003-07-11) as a component of the GNU system, and accepted on 2003-12-02. Version 1.0.1 was the first release of mcron as a GNU package homed at gnu.org.

A copy of a white paper describes the motivation and initial design concepts of mcron.

The manual describes how the realized incarnation of mcron works, and explains how its functionality can be incorporated into other projects. This is distributed in all the releases, and the latest one can be perused online by clicking the link above.

Releases of Mcron

1.0.3 --- DOWNLOAD

This release has come about mainly due to a suggested patch from Sergey Poznyakoff - very many thanks.

1.0.2

1.0.1

Upgraded all auxiliary and documentation files to reflect the fact that the package is now homed at gnu.org. Mailing lists, etc, have been set up and are now running.

1.0.0

Upgraded all auxiliary and documentation files to reflect the fact that we are now a GNU package, and this is version 1.

0.99.4

Two package configuration additions have been made in light of the review made by the GNU organization (thanks to Karl Berry for these suggestions):

Due to the disruption to service, this version is neither tagged in CVS nor released to the masses.

0.99.3

The code is now broken out into modules which can be used in other programs (the API is fully documented in the manual).

0.99.2

100% Vixie compatibility is now achieved. The code is fully functional and production quality, but still hasn't had any testing done.

0.99.1

The code base is currently functionally complete and written to production quality. Unfortunately the current incarnation of Guile is unable to support it fully. As this will take some time for me to sort out, I have made an interim release 0.99.1 which only has the mcron personality active by default. There are two main reasons why I have released this now.

  1. The world deserves mcron, even without the Vixie compatibility.
  2. Maybe someone who knows the Guile innards better than me will look into the problem (I don't want to harass the Guile team directly - they're making good, steady progress as it is).

Administration of Mcron

This package is being distributed through the holes http://www.gnu.org/software/mcron (this page) and ftp://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/mcron. Mailing lists are now established, and are bug-mcron@gnu.org for reporting problems with the package; help-mcron@gnu.org for requesting help from the community (including the author of the package) in using mcron and for suggesting and requesting new features; and info-mcron@gnu.org will disseminate items of news as they happen regarding the package.

For more information on the development of mcron and to see the CVS tree please visit mcron's Savannah page.