.Dd 2023-08-13
.Dt SYSTEMD-CRONTAB-GENERATOR 8
.Os systemd-cron 2.3.4-1
.
.Sh NAME
.Nm systemd-crontab-generator
.Nd translate cron schedules in systemd Units
.
.Sh SYNOPSIS
.Li /usr/lib/systemd/system-generators/ Ns Nm systemd-crontab-generator
.Ar output-dir
.
.Sh DESCRIPTION
.Nm systemd-crontab-generator
is a
.Xr systemd.generator 7
translating classic cron
.Sx FILES
into native
.Xr systemd.timer 5 Ns / Ns Xr systemd.service 5
pairs.
.Pp
It runs automatically
.Bl -bullet -compact -offset 2n -width 1n
.It
during early boot,
.
.It
a second time by
.Ic cron-after-var.service
if
.Pa /var
is a separate mount-point,
in order to process user crontabs in
.Pa /var/spool/cron/crontabs ,
.
.It
after each update to
.Pa /etc/crontab Ns \(dg
and
.Pa /etc/anacrontab Ns \(dg,
and
.
.It
when packages add files under
.Pa /etc/cron.d Ns \(dg
.El
(\(dg: monitored by
.Ic cron-update.path ) .
.
.Sh FILES
.Bl -tag -compact -width ".Pa /var/spool/cron/crontabs"
.\" Starts same as in systemd.cron.7
.It Pa /etc/crontab
Administrator's system crontab, see
.Xr crontab 5 .
.
.It Pa /etc/cron.d
System crontabs managed by packages live here.
.
.It Pa /etc/anacrontab
.Xr anacrontab 5
.
.It Pa /var/spool/cron/crontabs
Users' crontabs live here.
.
.It Pa /run/systemd/generator
Automatically generated units go here.
.
.It Pa /run/crond.reboot
If this file exists,
.Sy @reboot
jobs aren't re-generated.
Managed automatically.
.
.It Pa /var/lib/systemd/timers
.Xr systemd.timer 5 Ns s
with the
.Fa Persistent
flag set store their timestamps here.
.El
.
.Sh DIAGNOSTICS
.\" First para same as in systemd.cron.7
.Nm systemctl Cm list-timers
shows an overview of current timers and when they'll elapse.
.Pp
If you see something to the effect of
.Dl /usr/lib/systemd/system-generators/systemd-crontab-generator failed with error code 1.
in the journal, you can run
.Li /usr/lib/systemd/system-generators/ Ns Nm systemd-crontab-generator Pa /tmp/test
for more verbose output.
.
.Sh SEE ALSO
.Xr crontab 5 ,
.Xr systemd.unit 5 ,
.Xr systemd.timer 5 ,
.Xr systemd.cron 7
.
.\".Sh AUTHOR
.\".An -split
.\".An Konstantin Stepanov Aq Mt me@kstep.me
.\"\(em generator
.\".An Alexandre Detiste Aq Mt alexandre@detiste.be
.\"\(em manual