systemd Service and Timer Generator

Fill in a few fields and get a clean systemd service file, with an optional timer for scheduled jobs. A tidier, more reliable way to run your own apps and scripts than a raw cron line.

🔒 Runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere.

/etc/systemd/system/myapp.service

How to use it

  1. Fill in the unit name, the command to run (use absolute paths), and the user it should run as.
  2. Copy the .service file into /etc/systemd/system/.
  3. Reload and enable it:
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable --now yourname.service

Check it with systemctl status yourname and follow its logs with journalctl -u yourname -f.

Service or timer

Leave the timer unticked for something that should stay running, such as a web app or a bot; systemd will restart it if it crashes. Tick the timer for something that runs and exits, such as a nightly backup or a sync job. A timer is the modern replacement for a cron entry: it logs to the journal, survives reboots, and can catch up on a missed run.

Why not just use cron?

Cron is fine for simple jobs, but a systemd service gives you automatic restarts, proper logging, dependency ordering (start after the network is up), and a defined user and working directory. The generated unit also sets a few safe defaults: no new privileges, a protected system and home directory.

FAQ

What is OnCalendar? It is systemd’s schedule format. daily runs at midnight, Mon *-*-* 09:00:00 runs Mondays at 9am, and *:0/15 runs every 15 minutes. Test an expression with systemd-analyze calendar "your expression".

Is anything sent to a server? No. The unit file is built in your browser.