A comprehensive automation skill that enables AI agents to create, manage, and monitor scheduled system tasks using crontab syntax.
Install & Download
1. ClawHub CLI
The fastest way to install a skill directly from the registry.
npx clawhub@latest install cron-scheduler
2. Manual Installation
Copy the skill folder to one of these locations
~/.openclaw/skills/ <project>/skills/ Priority: Workspace > Local > Bundled
3. Prompt Installation
Copy this prompt to OpenClaw to install it automatically.
Help me install cron-scheduler using Clawhub. If Clawhub is not installed, install it first (npm i -g clawhub).
Prefer to download?
Get the raw skill files in a ZIP archive.
What is Cron Scheduler?
The Cron Scheduler is a robust automation extension designed to simplify system administration through natural language. By utilizing this skill within the Openclaw Skills ecosystem, developers can delegate the management of background processes to their AI agent. The skill handles the intricacies of cron syntax, ensuring that tasks like backups, API calls, and health checks are executed exactly when needed without manual intervention.
Beyond simple scheduling, this tool provides a high-level interface for inspecting system-wide cron directories and user-specific crontabs. It bridges the gap between complex terminal commands and user intent, allowing for seamless automation of repetitive workflows while maintaining strict adherence to system best practices like output redirection and absolute path usage.
Cron Scheduler Use Cases
- Scheduling nightly database backups to secure data automatically.
- Setting up daily disk space alerts to prevent system crashes.
- Automating weekly cleanup of temporary directories and log files.
- Creating health check intervals to restart crashed services every five minutes.
- Running periodic data synchronization scripts between local and cloud environments.
How Cron Scheduler Works
- The AI agent receives a scheduling request and translates the timing into a standard 5-field cron expression.
- It verifies existing tasks to avoid duplication and conflicts within the user crontab.
- The skill appends the new command, incorporating necessary environment variables like PATH and SHELL.
- It sets up proper output redirection to log files or /dev/null to ensure system stability.
- The agent monitors the execution by checking system logs or journalctl to confirm the task is running as expected.
Cron Scheduler Setup
This skill requires no external API keys as it operates directly on the system's cron daemon. To ensure compatibility with Openclaw Skills, verify that cron is installed and check your current scheduled tasks using the following command:
crontab -l 2>/dev/null || echo "(empty)"
Ensure your AI agent has the necessary permissions to read and write to the crontab and access system logs in /var/log/.
Cron Scheduler Data Schema & Taxonomy
The skill manages data across several system locations and formats to ensure reliable automation. The following table outlines the data structure:
| Component | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| User Crontab | File-based | Stores user-specific tasks managed via crontab -e |
| System Cron | Directory | Configs located in /etc/cron.d/, /etc/cron.daily/, etc. |
| Logs | Text Stream | Output captured from /var/log/syslog or journalctl |
| Schedule Pattern | String | Five-part cron syntax (minute, hour, day, month, weekday) |
Cron Scheduler Advanced Features
- Smart environment variable injection to ensure scripts run with the correct SHELL and PATH settings.
- Automated output management to prevent filling up the system mail spool.
- Multi-directory monitoring including hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly system cron folders.
- Pattern-based task removal for quick cleanup of complex automation chains.
- Integrated syntax validation to prevent invalid cron expressions from being installed.
SKILL.md
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