---
name: "systemd-crontab-generator"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "systemd-cron"
version: "2.5.1-2"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/systemd-crontab-generator"
---

# systemd-crontab-generator(8)

translate cron schedules in systemd Units

## NAME

**systemd-crontab-generator** – translate cron schedules in systemd Units

## SYNOPSIS

/usr/lib/systemd/system-generators/**systemd-crontab-generator** *output-dir*

## DESCRIPTION

**systemd-crontab-generator** is a [systemd.generator(7)](/systemd.generator/7.md) translating classic cron FILES into native [systemd.timer(5)](/systemd.timer/5.md)/[systemd.service(5)](/systemd.service/5.md) pairs.

It runs automatically

- during early boot,

- a second time by **cron-after-var.service** if */var* is a separate mount-point, in order to process user crontabs in */var/spool/cron/crontabs*,

- after each update to */etc/crontab*† and */etc/anacrontab*†, and

- when packages add files under */etc/cron.d*†

(†: monitored by **cron-update.path**).

## FILES

- */etc/crontab*

  Administrator's system crontab, see [crontab(5)](/crontab/5.md).

- */etc/cron.d*

  System crontabs managed by packages live here.

- */etc/anacrontab*

  [anacrontab(5)](/anacrontab/5.md)

- */var/spool/cron/crontabs*

  Users' crontabs live here.

- */run/systemd/generator*

  Automatically generated units go here.

- */run/crond.reboot*

  If this file exists, **@reboot** jobs aren't re-generated. Managed automatically.

- */var/lib/systemd/timers*

  [systemd.timer(5)](/systemd.timer/5.md)s with the *Persistent* flag set store their timestamps here.

## DIAGNOSTICS

**systemctl** **list-timers** shows an overview of current timers and when they'll elapse.

If you see something to the effect of

```
/usr/lib/systemd/system-generators/systemd-crontab-generator failed with error code 1.
```

in the journal, you can run /usr/lib/systemd/system-generators/**systemd-crontab-generator** */tmp/test* for more verbose output.

## SEE ALSO

[crontab(5)](/crontab/5.md), [systemd.unit(5)](/systemd.unit/5.md), [systemd.timer(5)](/systemd.timer/5.md), [systemd.cron(7)](/systemd.cron/7.md)