Systemd timers: the modern cron alternative you needed

Mon, 04 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Why I Left Cron
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I’ve been using cron on my servers for years. It’s simple, reliable, and it works. But recently I discovered systemd timers and I’m not going back. The main reason: integrated logs in journald, no .log files scattered around the system, and better control over what happens when the server starts or reboots.

In my specific case, I had a backup that wouldn’t run if the server was off at the scheduled time. With cron, it simply got lost. With systemd timers and Persistent=true, the task runs as soon as the server boots up.

Security email notifications from the terminal with msmtp and Gmail

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Why you need this
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When you run a server at home, you need to know if something strange happens. A script that sends you an email when it detects a failed login attempt, an expiring certificate, or a nearly full disk is invaluable. The problem is that your ISP blocks port 25, so you can’t use sendmail directly. That’s where msmtp comes in.

Servidor on Servicios Rogeliowar

Systemd timers: the modern cron alternative you needed

Why I Left Cron #

Security email notifications from the terminal with msmtp and Gmail

Why you need this #

Why I Left Cron
#

Why you need this
#