Cron in Docker: Run Scheduled Jobs Inside Containers Correctly
Run cron jobs inside Docker containers. Compare supercronic, ofelia, and classic cron with correct signal handling, logging, and environment setup.
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Tags: developer-tools, cron, docker
Cron in Docker: Run Scheduled Jobs Inside Containers Correctly Running cron inside Docker is deceptively tricky. The core problem: cron was designed to run as PID 1 in a traditional Unix environment, read , and manage background processes. Docker containers have different PID semantics, limited environment variables, and specific signal-handling requirements. Get it wrong and you end up with jobs that silently never run, zombie processes, or containers that ignore . This guide covers four practical approaches — from simple to production-ready. The Core Problems with Naive Cron in Docker Before looking at solutions, understand what goes wrong: 1. Environment variables are not passed to cron jobs Docker injects environment variables when the container starts, but cron does not inherit them.…
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