What command is used to schedule a task at a specific time in Linux?

The command used to schedule a task at a specific time in Linux is "at." This utility allows users to schedule a command or script to run once at a particular time, making it useful for tasks that are needed to execute just once rather than on a recurring schedule.

When you use the "at" command, you specify the time when you want the task to execute, and it reads commands from standard input or a specified file for that scheduled task. For instance, using "echo 'command' | at 5 PM" would run "command" at 5 PM on the same day.

In contrast, while "cron" is also a scheduling tool in Linux, it is primarily designed for recurring tasks rather than one-time executions at specific times. The other options, "schedule" and "timer," do not represent standard commands within the context of Linux task scheduling. Therefore, "at" is the precise choice for scheduling a singular occurrence of a task at a defined time.