Cron to Systemd Timer & Service Converter (OnCalendar Generator)

Presets:
Delay:
Evaluated OnCalendar Directive
Mon..Fri *-*-* 02:00:00
systemd.time(7) compatible
database-backup.timer
database-backup.service
VALID
Syntax Validated
12
Timer Unit Lines
15
Service Unit Lines
Technical Reference & Architecture Guide

Cron to Systemd Timer & Service Unit Specification — Reference Guide

Technical manual for migrating Linux Crontab schedule jobs to native systemd .timer and .service calendar events.

Key Parameters & Controls

cronExpressionString (5 fields)

Standard 5-part Linux cron string (minute, hour, dom, month, dow).

onCalendarString

Systemd calendar specification string evaluated under systemd.time(7).

serviceUnitString (.service definition)

Execution unit containing ExecStart and security hardening parameters.

persistentBoolean

Enables Persistent=true so missed jobs run immediately when system wakes from sleep.

Pro Tips & Best Practices

Common Gotchas & Troubleshooting

Timer fails to trigger service

Verify systemctl daemon-reload was executed and service unit is enabled (systemctl enable --now your.timer).

Cron interval (*/15) translation error

In OnCalendar syntax, intervals use *:0/15 or *:00,15,30,45 rather than raw slash syntax in some older systemd versions.

Frequently Asked Questions

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