  The classical dynamics of the tachyon scalar field of cubic string field
theory is considered on a cosmological background. Starting from a nonlocal
action with arbitrary tachyon potential, which encodes the bosonic and several
supersymmetric cases, we study the equations of motion in the Hamilton-Jacobi
formalism and with a generalized Friedmann equation, appliable in braneworld or
modified gravity models. The cases of cubic (bosonic) and quartic
(supersymmetric) tachyon potential in general relativity are automatically
included. We comment the validity of the slow-roll approximation, the stability
of the cosmological perturbations, and the relation between this tachyon and
the Dirac-Born-Infeld one.
