Cygwin Bash Script Initiated from WIN 7 Task Scheduler Fails

dpminusa · 09-20-2013, 05:37 AM

In order to use rsync I created a Bash script. It runs fine from the Cygwin 32-bit shell in Win 7 but fails when run from the Win 7 Task Scheduler.

My Task Scheduler script is a simple:

Code:

c:\cygwin\bin\bash.exe -l -c "/home/user/rsync_Windows_Backup >> /home/user/Documents_cron.log 2>&1"

The initial directory for the job is set to C:\Cygwin\bin.

My Bash script is a typical rsync [options] SRC DEST and some related housekeeping.

The rsync command within my rsync_Windows_Backup Bash script is:

Code:

/bin/time -f "\nElapse (hh:mm:ss.ss) %E" \ 
rsync.exe -ravuz --copy-links "$SRC" "$DEST" >> "$LOG" \ 
2 >> "$LOG"

I tested the script from the Cygwin command line. It runs as expected, i.e.

Code:

$ ./rsync_Windows_Backup - succeeds.

However, the Task Scheduler job fails carping that it cannot find the DEST folder that the Bash script references. When I do a cd DEST from the BASH command line the folder is available and can be written to.

I should add some more details, the sender is a Win 7 desktop that is mapped to a Vista desktop receiver with a drive mapping J:. The Bash script does start but fails with:

Code:

rsync: writefd_unbuffered failed to write 4 bytes to socket [sender]: Broken pipe (32)
rsync: mkdir "/cygdrive/J/DocumentsBackup" failed: No such file or directory (2) rsync error:  error in file IO (code 11)

I can remove the first error by changing the configuration to Windows 7 in the General Tab of the Task Scheduler properties. I cannot see why the mkdir fails to see the share J:.

To check the LAN connection I also did a

Code:

net use J: \\server\share

It connects fine and allows listing and writes, etc.

When I run the same task scheduler job in Windows Vista it does work fine.

Is this some finer NTLM issue or other permission issue on Win 7? I am stumped at the moment.

Firerat · 09-20-2013, 05:47 AM

It has been a long time since I used Windows.. (Win98)

But during the overlap I was using cygwin ssh from Win to Linux ( I didn't like putty , don't remember why )
to get that working I had a .bat script setup the environment for cygwin and launch ssh

perhaps it is the environment that is missing when setup in the Task Scheduler

Like I said, been a long time, just throwing this out as 'an idea' that may be worth exploring.

dpminusa · 09-20-2013, 06:11 AM

Thank you for the reply.

I am not using ssh, I am just using a mapping from one PC to another. This works fine for Vista but not for Win 7. I have a Powershell wrapper version for testing and modifying the environment that the Scheduler sees as an alternative. When I interrogated the environment with set-location env: all seemed to be ok, but ... I will try to add my mapping directly in the powershell script to explore your idea. I had read that sometimes this is an issue. Especially if you request elevation in the job.

I will report back.

dpminusa · 09-20-2013, 08:38 AM

I added a drive mapping with my Powershell wrapper. It did not provide a solution. I think the mapping command was correct.
The Task Scheduler Action is:

Code:

powershell -file "C:\Users\User\Folder\Script.ps1"

The related script snippet is:

Code:

Function Rsync_Backup
{

# Add reference to Network Share with Drive Mapping J:.
new-psdrive -name J -psprovider FileSystem -root \\Server01\Backup


$process = New-Object System.Diagnostics.Process
$startinfo = New-Object "System.Diagnostics.ProcessStartInfo"

    
# To supress the mintty window use it to execute the script then the -w hide is available.
$Script = "c:\cygwin\bin\mintty.exe"
$startinfo.FileName = $Script


$folder = "Testing"
$startinfo.Arguments = " -w hide /bin/bash -l -e ~${user}/rsync_Windows_Backup ${backuphost} ${folder}"

    
# Redirect Process Std Out and Std Error.
$startinfo.RedirectStandardError = $true
$startinfo.RedirectStandardOutput = $true
$startinfo.UseShellExecute = $false

    
$process.StartInfo = $startinfo
$process.Start() | Out-Null 
$process.WaitForExit()

    
$stdout = $process.StandardOutput.ReadToEnd()
$stderr = $process.StandardError.ReadToEnd()

}

# MAIN
$user = [Environment]::UserName
$backuphost = "windows"

Rsync_Backup | out-null

Any more ideas I could try? I am down to my last few hair folicals.

Thanks.

ntubski · 09-20-2013, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dpminusa

To check the LAN connection I also did a

Code:

net use J: \\server\share

It connects fine and allows listing and writes, etc.

Did you do that before or after running the script? According to this message, net use might be needed to make the drive visible to cygwin. A followup message suggests telling cygwin to mount the share itself, bypassing the drive lettering system.

dpminusa · 09-21-2013, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ntubski

Did you do that before or after running the script? According to this message, net use might be needed to make the drive visible to cygwin. A followup message suggests telling cygwin to mount the share itself, bypassing the drive lettering system.

Thank you for the suggestion. I will try this and see what I get.

I have been relying on the drive mapping made in windows to be present within the scope of the Task Scheduler and within the scope of Cygwin without explicitly creating them again.

I already tried adding a net use with a powershell script in the task scheduler as you saw .

My script does run correctly within Cygwin from the $ prompt, it is just from the Task Scheduler in Win 7 that it fails to find the share. That is why I added the net use in my powershell wrapper as an experiment.

I am obviously missing something a bit subtle here in Windows 7. My script DOES run fine from the task scheduler in Vista Bus. 32.

Thanks.

dpminusa · 09-21-2013, 10:40 PM

I now have this working in Win 7 from the task scheduler as I need. Thank you to @netubsi and @firerat for the suggestions that lead to a solution.

Here is what I did:

Code:

cmd /c net use T: '\\server\share'        # Created a separate temporary share for Cygwin
DEST="/cygdrive/T/User/FolderBackup/"     # Use temporary Share in Destination
rsync -avuz --copy-links "$SRC" "$DEST"   # Do backup
cmd /c net use T: /delete                 # Remove temporary share

It appears that in WIN 7 the share created in Windows is NOT available to a Cygwin script, IF it is launced from the Win 7 task scheduler. It IS available if the script is launced from the Cygwin command line. It also appears that this is NOT an issue in Win Vista.

This seems odd to me. Perhaps there is another explanation that I am missing. However I am just relieved to have this working!!