Running on Raspberry Pi with bookworm.
I have some python code, “inxi_test.py”

#!/home/pi/.venv/bin/python

import subprocess

ret = subprocess.run(['inxi -F'],  shell = True,  capture_output = True)
if ret.stderr.decode():
    print(f'Errors = {ret.stderr.decode()}')
print(f'StdOut = {ret.stdout.decode()}')
rpt = open('/home/pi/v04_7/inxi.rpt',  'w')
rpt.write(ret.stdout.decode())
rpt.close()

which creates a report “inxi.rpt”

System:
  Host: pi-radio Kernel: 6.6.31+rpt-rpi-v7 arch: armv7l bits: 32 Console: pty pts/0
    Distro: Raspbian GNU/Linux 12 (bookworm)
Machine:
  Type: ARM System: Raspberry Pi 2 Model B Rev 1.1 details: BCM2835 rev: a01041
    serial: 000000000fd84202
CPU:
  Info: quad core model: ARMv7 v7l variant: cortex-a7 bits: 32 type: MCP
  Speed (MHz): avg: 900 min/max: 600/900 cores: 1: 900 2: 900 3: 900 4: 900
Graphics:
  Device-1: bcm2835-hdmi driver: vc4_hdmi v: N/A
  Device-2: bcm2835-vc4 driver: vc4_drm v: N/A
  Display: server: No display server data found. Headless machine? tty: 138x30
  API: OpenGL Message: GL data unavailable in console. Try -G --display
Audio:
  Device-1: bcm2835-hdmi driver: vc4_hdmi
  Device-2: iqaudio-dac driver: snd_rpi_iqaudio_dac
  API: ALSA v: k6.6.31+rpt-rpi-v7 status: kernel-api
Network:
  Device-1: bcm2835-sdhci driver: N/A
  IF: eth0 state: down mac: b8:27:eb:d8:42:02
  Device-2: Microchip (formerly SMSC) SMSC9512/9514 Fast Ethernet Adapter type: USB
    driver: smsc95xx
  IF: eth0 state: down mac: b8:27:eb:d8:42:02
  Device-3: Edimax EW-7811Un 802.11n Wireless Adapter [Realtek RTL8188CUS] type: USB
    driver: rtl8192cu
  IF: wlan0 state: up mac: 80:1f:02:af:58:23
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 14.95 GiB used: 4.38 GiB (29.3%)
  ID-1: /dev/mmcblk0 type: Removable model: NCard size: 14.95 GiB
Partition:
  ID-1: / size: 14.18 GiB used: 4.28 GiB (30.2%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/mmcblk0p2
Swap:
  ID-1: swap-1 type: file size: 200 MiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) file: /var/swap
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 58.4 C mobo: N/A
  Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A
Info:
  Processes: 147 Uptime: 3d 2h 3m Memory: 996.9 MiB used: 263.1 MiB (26.4%) gpu: 76 MiB
  Init: systemd target: multi-user (3) Shell: sh inxi: 3.3.26

and some more code almost the same “inxi_test_cron.py”

#!/home/pi/.venv/bin/python

import subprocess

ret = subprocess.run(['inxi -F'],  shell = True,  capture_output = True)
if ret.stderr.decode():
    print(f'Errors = {ret.stderr.decode()}')
print(f'StdOut = {ret.stdout.decode()}')
rpt = open('/home/pi/v04_7/inxi_cron.rpt',  'w')
rpt.write(ret.stdout.decode())
rpt.close()

which is run as cron job and creates “inxi_cron.rpt”. Code is the
same, name changes to clarify which is which.

Running inxi_test.py from a terminal creates inxi.rpt which is fine,
just as expected

Running inxi_test_cron.py as a scheduled cron job creates inxi_cron.rpt

12System:
  12Kernel 6.6.31+rpt-rpi-v7 12arch armv7l 12bits 32 12Console N/A 12Distro Raspbian GNU/Linux 12 (bookworm)
12Machine:
  12Type ARM 12System Raspberry Pi 2 Model B Rev 1.1 12details BCM2835 12rev a01041 12serial <filter>
12CPU:
  12Info quad core 12model ARMv7 v7l 12variant cortex-a7 12bits 32 12type MCP
  12Speed (MHz) 12avg 700 12min/max 600/900 12cores 121 700 122 700 123 700 124 700
12Graphics:
  12Device-1 bcm2835-hdmi 12driver vc4_hdmi 12v N/A
  12Device-2 bcm2835-vc4 12driver vc4_drm 12v N/A
  12Display 12server No display server data found. Headless machine? 12tty 80x40
  12API OpenGL 12Message GL data unavailable in console. Try -G --display
12Audio:
  12Device-1 bcm2835-hdmi 12driver vc4_hdmi
  12Device-2 iqaudio-dac 12driver snd_rpi_iqaudio_dac
  12API ALSA 12v k6.6.31+rpt-rpi-v7 12status kernel-api
12Network:
  12Device-1 bcm2835-sdhci 12driver N/A
  12IF eth0 12state down 12mac <filter>
  12Device-2 Microchip (formerly SMSC) SMSC9512/9514 Fast Ethernet Adapter 12type USB 12driver smsc95xx
  12IF eth0 12state down 12mac <filter>
  12Device-3 Edimax EW-7811Un 802.11n Wireless Adapter [Realtek RTL8188CUS] 12type USB
    12driver rtl8192cu
  12IF wlan0 12state up 12mac <filter>
12Drives:
  12Local Storage 12total 14.95 GiB 12used 4.38 GiB (29.3%)
  12ID-1 /dev/mmcblk0 12type Removable 12model NCard 12size 14.95 GiB
12Partition:
  12ID-1 / 12size 14.18 GiB 12used 4.29 GiB (30.2%) 12fs ext4 12dev /dev/mmcblk0p2
12Swap:
  12ID-1 swap-1 12type file 12size 200 MiB 12used 0 KiB (0.0%) 12file /var/swap
12Sensors:
  12System Temperatures 12cpu 55.1 C 12mobo N/A
  12Fan Speeds (RPM) N/A
12Info:
  12Processes 141 12Uptime 5d 2h 2m 12Memory 996.9 MiB 12used 250.8 MiB (25.2%) 12gpu 76 MiB 12Init systemd
  12target multi-user (3) 12Client Unknown python3.11 client 12inxi 3.3.26

which has the odd characters. There is a character before the “12” which shows on my system and in the text I pasted in, but not on the preview. The cron job is

53 22 * * * /home/pi/.venv/bin/python3 /home/pi/v04_7/inxi_test_cron.py
>> /home/pi/v04_7/logs/cron_inxi.log 2>&1 # cron_inxi_test

Why are these control characters created when run as a cron job? How can
I fix it?

Thanks