Is Cron compatible with current System Software like 7.5.3?
Yes. However, recent System Software releases appear to have increased their demands on application memory. As a result many users have found that cron does not work properly with its default 32K memory allotment. If that allotment is increased to 64K (use the "Get Info" dialog in the Finder), cron will work properly once again. Ironically, if cron hadn't attempted to be so efficient in its memory usage, this wouldn't have been a problem.
Cron won't quit. What's wrong?
This is the result of changes in recent system software. See: "Is Cron compatible with current System Software like 7.5.3?"
I've placed some commands in the crontab file, but nothing happens; the log file just lists -43 errors. What's going on?
-43 is the Macintosh error code for "file not found". This means cron is trying to execute the commands you've provided, but it can't find them. To clarify somewhat, cron looks for its commands in just one place: the same folder in wich cron itself is stored. So, find the cron application on your disk and make sure that also present in its folder are the commands that you're trying to execute. If they aren't there, find them and put them there. If they are already present in cron's folder, make sure that their names match the command names you've used in the crontab file.
Bear in mind that aliases are OK with cron, as long as their names match the names used in the crontab file. For example, if the crontab refers to "WebStat" and you place an alias to WebStat in cron's folder, the alias must be named "WebStat" rather than "WebStat alias". (Alternately, you could leave the alias named "WebStat alias" and then change the name of the command used in the crontab file from "WebStat" to "WebStat alias". As long as you're consistent, it'll work either way.)
How can I write AppleScripts that accept cron arguments?
See Jerry Stratton's "Programming Cron Scripts" page.