how to schedule ubuntu to start downloading at a specified time

5 posts · originally from https://geek.digit.in/community/threads/how-to-schedule-ubuntu-to-start-downloading-at-a-specified-time.103533/

hey, i recently installed ubuntu 8.10, it looks great.. i downloaded som Sware, nd started watchin movies nd listenin to songs, but besides that i also wanted to download at night from 2 to 8 a.m, using bittorrent,
so can anybody tel me how to do it, as i'm new t linux.. i only know t use som commands in a terminal,
in windows Xp, i've configured it using a batch file, nd i hibernate t pc, so that it starts automatically at 2.00 a.m , nd shuts down at 8..
thanks...

You can automate downloads and shutdown computer using cron but don't know if it's possible to start PC automatically at preset time.

hey.. can u post the commands using cron?

powersum said:
hey.. can u post the commands using cron?

Open terminal and enter crontab -e
Press i to go to insertion mode

Now to start transmission at 2 am make this entry. This will make transmission start every day of the month for whole year at 2.00AM. Remember to give a space between each star.

DISPLAY=:0
00 02 * * *

To stop it at 8 AM make this entry in crontab

00 08 * * * killall transmission

Now press ESC and then :wq and press ENTER

Now change to root user and open crontab for editing using crontab -e
Here enter the following to make pc shutdown at 8AM

00 08 * * * halt

Now again press ESC and then :wq and press ENTER

But you will have to manually start the pc at 2 AM.
You can perform any task using cron at specified time. The syntax for a doing a task is
[minute] [hour] [date] [month] [weekday] Command
Minute may be between 00-59
Hour : 0-23
Date: 1-31
Month :1-12
Weekday :1-7
DISPLAY=:0 is to see the GUI for application.

nice... thats what i wnated to know scheduling tasks...