Schedule a Python Cron Job with Proxy Environment Variables

A Cronie/Vixie-style crontab accepts environment entries above its scheduled commands. A Python job can receive its proxy route directly:

http_proxy=http://proxy.example.net:8080
https_proxy=http://proxy.example.net:8080

15 * * * * cd /srv/myapp && /srv/myapp/.venv/bin/python jobs/fetch.py

The example runs at minute 15 of each hour. The paths refer to an existing project and Python environment, and the HTTP client used by the script must read these proxy variables. The HTTP proxy list can supply an endpoint for a permitted public-fetch job that needs no proxy account.

Those environment entries apply to subsequent jobs in that crontab. If only one job should use the route, put the variable assignments on that job's command instead.

Use the project's actual interpreter and working directory. A correct proxy value cannot make another Python installation import the intended dependencies or locate a configuration file relative to the project. Broad PYTHONPATH and library-path additions are unnecessary when the scheduled command already selects the right environment.