What is a systemd timer?

A systemd timer is a declarative scheduler that works with a matching service unit. Instead of writing a cron entry, you define when the job should run and what service should execute.

Timers can be calendar-based or monotonic, which makes them flexible for boot-time jobs, recurring maintenance, and delayed tasks.

Tool description

This tool generates matching .timer and .service unit files along with install commands. You can configure calendar schedules, monotonic triggers, and common service options such as user, working directory, and service type.

It is useful when you want to build a systemd timer without hand-writing unit files.

Examples

  • A daily backup timer
  • A job that runs shortly after boot
  • A timer that uses a custom calendar expression

Features

  • Calendar and monotonic scheduling options
  • Persistent, accuracy, and randomized delay settings
  • Matching service file plus install commands

Limitations

The tool only emits text and does not validate the behavior of the resulting units on a real system.

The install commands assume Linux with systemd available and usually require elevated privileges.