# Rake task from crontab? **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [September 13, 2007, 8:22pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rake-task-from-crontab/114520 "2007-09-13T20:22:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jrochkind](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/779978/32.png) [@jrochkind](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jrochkind)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2007, 8:22pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rake-task-from-crontab/114520/1 "2007-09-13T20:22:29Z")
Is there a good way to run a rake task from a crontab? It seems like I’d need to put in my crontab: “cd rails\_dir; rake whatever”. Which is kind of ugly. Is there some way to set a value in the rake command line to eliminate the need for the explicit ‘cd’? Maybe something involving the ability to set env variables on the command line? Some env variable I could set that would tell rake what rails app to run in, and allow the command to be executed without the working directory actually being that dir? Or maybe I should use script/runner instead? Any good easy way to get script/runner to invoke a rake task? Any advice from someone who’s accomplished this kind of thing before? Jonathan ---
**Author:** ![jrochkind](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/779978/32.png) [@jrochkind](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jrochkind)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 4:15pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rake-task-from-crontab/114520/2 "2007-09-21T16:15:38Z")
Jonathan R. wrote: > Is there a good way to run a rake task from a crontab? > Which is kind of ugly. Is there some way to set a value in the rake > command line to eliminate the need for the explicit ‘cd’? I don’t know if something like “Make -C” exists with Rake > It seems like I’d need to put in my crontab: > “cd rails\_dir; rake whatever”. Seems to be the best way, that’s not soo ugly. [http://www.railsenvy.com/2007/6/11/ruby-on-rails-rake-tutorial](http://www.railsenvy.com/2007/6/11/ruby-on-rails-rake-tutorial) 0 0 \* \* \* cd /var/www/apps/rails\_app/ && /usr/local/bin/rake RAILS\_ENV=production namespace:task You can put this command in a little script shell named rake.sh something like #!/bin/sh cd /var/www/apps/rails\_app/ && /usr/local/bin/rake RAILS\_ENV=production $1 and in your crontab : 0 0 \* \* \* ~/take.sh namespace:task Litle bit more sexy 🙂 I hop I helped you. ---
**Author:** ![jrochkind](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/779978/32.png) [@jrochkind](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jrochkind)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 4:16pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/rake-task-from-crontab/114520/3 "2007-09-21T16:16:30Z")
s/take.sh/rake.sh 🙂