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How to schedule a python script to run daily

User DFlat
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Final answer:

To schedule a Python script to run daily, you can use Cron on Unix-like systems or Task Scheduler on Windows. Alternatively, for cross-platform solutions, the APScheduler module can be used. It's important to make sure that the Python environment and dependencies are correctly set up.

Step-by-step explanation:

To schedule a Python script to run daily, you can use various task scheduling tools depending on your operating system. For instance, Cron is commonly used on Unix-like systems, whereas Task Scheduler is used on Windows systems.

Using Cron on Unix-Like Systems: To schedule a Python script using Cron, first open the terminal and type crontab -e to edit the Cron jobs list. Then, add a new line to specify the schedule. For example, 0 5 * * * /usr/bin/python3 /path/to/your_script.py will run the script daily at 5 AM.

Using Task Scheduler on Windows: To schedule a script with Windows Task Scheduler, open it from Administrative Tools and create a new task. Under the Triggers tab, set the task to start daily and specify the time. Under the Actions tab, set the action to start a program and point to the Python executable with the script file as the argument.

Additionally, for cross-platform scheduling, you can use third-party modules like APScheduler. You can install APScheduler via pip and schedule your Python script to run with a simple script that uses APScheduler's built-in tools to execute your script daily.

Regardless of the method chosen, it is essential to ensure that the environment and dependencies required by the Python script are properly set up so that the script can run without errors when triggered by the scheduler.

User Chris Crewdson
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