rework of init script, now functioning as intended

.env.example

@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 # who crons will run as
-USER_ID=1000
-GROUP_ID=1000
+USER_ID=720
+GROUP_ID=720

Dockerfile

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 FROM alpine
 
-RUN mkdir -p /tock/crons
+RUN mkdir /tock
 WORKDIR /tock
 COPY . /tock/
 

compose.yaml

@@ -1,17 +1,18 @@
 services:
-  preauth:
+  tock:
+    # TODO rename ".env.example" to just ".env"
+    # edit USER_ID and GROUP_ID if needed
+    container_name: tock
     env_file:
-      # TODO rename ".env.example" to just ".env"
-      # edit USER_ID and GROUP_ID if needed
       - .env
     image: digitaladapt/tock
     init: true
     restart: unless-stopped
-    user: ${USER_ID}:${GROUP_ID}
     volumes:
       - tock-crons:/tock/crons
+      # if desired, use your host timezone
+      #- /etc/localtime:/etc/localtime:ro # read-only
 
 volumes:
   tock-crons:
 
-

crons/pulse

@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 #m  h   dom mon dow command
-*   *   *   *   *   date | tee -a '/var/log/cron.log'
+*   *   *   *   *   date
 

init.sh

@@ -1,11 +1,51 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
-# on each boot of this container, we build the crontab
-echo '--- building combined cron ---'
-cat /tock/crons/* | tee '/tmp/tock/combined'
-crontab /tmp/tock/combined
+cd /tock
+
+# check that we have some cron files to work with
+cron_files=$(find crons -type f)
+if [ -z "$cron_files" ]; then
+    echo 'no crons files specified, nothing to do, stopping'
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+# check that we have some cron lines to work with
+cat $cron_files | grep -vE '^(#|$)' > /tmp/tock/combined
+cron_tasks=$(wc -l /tmp/tock/combined | cut -d ' ' -f 1)
+if [ "1" -gt "${cron_tasks:-0}" ]; then
+    echo 'no crons tasks specified, nothing to do, stopping'
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+# default user/group, if not set
+if [ -z "$USER_ID" ]; then
+    USER_ID=720
+fi
+if [ -z "$GROUP_ID" ]; then
+    GROUP_ID=720
+fi
+
+# check that the user "tock" exists and has the desired UID
+uid=$(id -u tock 2> /dev/null)
+if [ -z "$uid" ]; then
+    # does not exist yet, create now
+    addgroup -g $GROUP_ID tock
+    adduser -D -H -u $USER_ID -G tock tock
+elif [ "$uid" -ne "$USER_ID" ]; then
+    # wrong uid, remove bad and replace
+    deluser -f tock
+    delgroup -f tock
+    addgroup -o -g $GROUP_ID tock
+    adduser -M -o -u $USER_ID -g $GROUP_ID tock
+fi
+
+# now that tock user exists, we can set their crontab
+crontab -u tock /tmp/tock/combined
 rm /tmp/tock/combined
+
+echo "Found: $cron_tasks Cron Tasks from the following files:"
+find crons -type f
 echo '--- starting cron ---'
 
-exec crond -f && tail -f /var/log/cron.log
+exec crond -f