.TH atrun "" "" "System Administration"
.PC "Execute commands at a preset time"
.PP
.B atrun
is a program that executes programs at a time set by the command
.BR at .
.PP
When user
.B steve
types
.DM
	at 1230 /v/steve/lunchtime
.DE
.PP
the command
.B at
creates a shell script in directory
.B /usr/spool/at
that contains the information needed
to execute command
.B /v/steve/lunchtime
at a later time \(em in this instance, 12:30 PM.
The spooled file sits in
.B /usr/spool/at
until
.B /usr/lib/atrun
sees that the specified time has been reached.
.B atrun
then executes the spooled command and removes it from
.BR /usr/spool/at .
.PP
.B atrun
is not a daemon; that is, it is invoked by another program, does its work,
and exits.
Thus, it is typically run periodically from an entry in the
.B cron
file owned by the superuser
.BR root .
.SH "See Also"
.Xr "Administering COHERENT," administe
.Xr at at.c
.SH Notes
Although
.B atrun
technically is a command, it is never invoked by a user.
