Add up to 20 minutes of random delay so multiple anacron jobs do not start simultaneously.
Which setting is appropriate?
RANDOM_DELAY=N adds a random delay of up to N minutes to each job's configured delay.
Detailed explanation
RANDOM_DELAY=20Correct. RANDOM_DELAY=20 sets the requested upper bound.
Correct. RANDOM_DELAY=20 sets the requested upper bound.
START_HOURS_RANGE=20Incorrect. START_HOURS_RANGE controls allowed hours, not random delay.
Incorrect. START_HOURS_RANGE controls allowed hours, not random delay.
DELAY=RANDOM:20Incorrect. DELAY=RANDOM:20 is not the standard setting name.
Incorrect. DELAY=RANDOM:20 is not the standard setting name.
NICE_DELAY=20Incorrect. Nice priority is unrelated to start-time randomization.
Incorrect. Nice priority is unrelated to start-time randomization.
Try it yourself
An example you can run in a temporary verification environment.
printf '%s
' 'RANDOM_DELAY=20' | cut -d= -f2Expected result
20Key points
- Unit is minutes
- Added to the base delay
- Spreads simultaneous starts
Notes
- Environment: POSIX cut / 模擬設定のみ
- Command output formatting can vary slightly by distribution or tool version.
- Run the example in a temporary directory or process when possible.
Foundation review
Read the scope first
Check whether the command acts on the current shell, a new process, an existing process, or a file.
Verify the observable result
Use the supplied command and compare the output with the expected result.