yep I tested it now because I use just vi for it.
$ export VISUAL=/usr/bin/gedit $ echo $VISUAL /usr/bin/gedit $ crontab -e will start gedit and I can modify my crontab in GUI editor. Man pages even on Linux are pretty straightforward and if someone can't understand how to use those 5 columns then there is a bigger problem to solve then which OS or editor to use. On Fri, Feb 19, 2010 at 9:02 PM, Tomas Bodzar <tomas.bod...@gmail.com> wrote: > Users can edit their own crontabs. You can set for them some GUI > editor trough variable for crontab and prepare some icon on desktop or > something similar. But if you want for them to be able to edit root > crontab then reactions of other people here are valid. > > PS: I'm curious why non-sysadmin aka normal user need in these times > edit crontab as more then 95% of normal users is not able to eg. work > with directories/files in file manager. I'm relatively young but I > know that use of crontab and similar CLI stuff was standard in 70's or > 80's for secretaries, people from academy area and similar. > > On Fri, Feb 19, 2010 at 8:32 PM, L. V. Lammert <l...@omnitec.net> wrote: >> On Fri, 19 Feb 2010, Johan Beisser wrote: >> >>> On Fri, Feb 19, 2010 at 8:21 AM, L. V. Lammert <l...@omnitec.net> wrote: >>> >>> > No, that isn't going to work. This isn't some elitist club - if we can't >>> > provide a simple, sane, safe way for a [priviledged] user to push a backup >>> > image out to a DR server, than *we* have failed as technologists. >>> >>> Wait. >>> >>> What the hell is so hard about: >>> >> If you have to ask what's so hard, it's too hard. The OP was about making >> the process **SIMPLE**, .. not complicated. Man pages are used to learn >> about a command, .. not a way to perform a specific command such as >> "change the replicatio0 schedule to start at 8PM instead of 6PM". >> >>> B While lines in a user crontab have five fixed fields plus a command >>> in the form: >>> >>> B B B B B B minute hour day-of-month month day-of-week command >>> B [...] >>> >> Yeah right. That isn't SIMPLE by any definition. >> >>> Being a UNIX Systems Admin means knowing your tools, and most >>> importantly your toolkits. Cron is a tool, making it "simpler" for a >>> new admin is doing you both a disservice in the long run. >>> >> The question was about a way to provide a way to change a crontab entry >> for ***NON SYS ADMINS***. >> >> B B B B Lee