winget install --id=cuong21951.cron -e cron schedules shell commands with the classic 5-field cron syntax and runs a tiny foreground scheduler that fires them as they come due. Single binary, no background service, no database - just a small JSON crontab.
A lightweight, cross-platform cron-like job scheduler written in Rust.
Schedule shell commands with the classic 5-field cron syntax, then run a tiny foreground scheduler that fires them as they come due. No background service, no database — just a single binary and a small JSON crontab.
┌───────────── minute (0-59)
│ ┌───────────── hour (0-23)
│ │ ┌───────────── day of month (1-31)
│ │ │ ┌───────────── month (1-12)
│ │ │ │ ┌───────────── day of week (0-6, Sunday = 0; 7 also = Sunday)
│ │ │ │ │
* * * * *
winget install cuong21951.cron
Requires a Rust toolchain.
cargo install --git https://github.com/cuong21951/cron
Or download a prebuilt binary from the Releases page.
# Add a job (cron expression + command)
cron add "*/5 * * * *" "echo hello"
cron add "@daily" "backup.bat"
cron add "0 9-17 * * 1-5" "ping -n 1 example.com"
# List jobs
cron list
# Remove a job by its index
cron remove 1
# Run the scheduler in the foreground (Ctrl+C to stop)
cron run
# Show where the crontab lives
cron path
cron run is a foreground process. To have it start on its own — in your
user session, so jobs run with your profile and Downloads — enable autostart:
cron autostart # start cron run hidden at each logon
cron autostart --remove # undo
This drops a hidden launcher in your Startup folder (no admin, no Task
Scheduler) and appends scheduler output to %APPDATA%\cron\scheduler.log.
Starting a second scheduler in the same session is a no-op, so a manual
cron run won't double-fire jobs.
Each of the five fields accepts:
| Form | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
* | * | every value |
| number | 5 | exactly that value |
| range | 9-17 | inclusive range |
| step | */15 | every 15th value |
| range+step | 0-30/10 | every 10th value within a range |
| list | 1,3,5 | any of the listed terms |
Shorthand macros: @yearly (@annually), @monthly, @weekly, @daily
(@midnight), @hourly.
As in classic cron, when both the day-of-month and day-of-week fields are restricted, a job fires when either matches.
cron run wakes at the top of every minute and runs any job whose schedule
matches the current time.cmd /C on Windows, sh -c
elsewhere), detached from the scheduler.add / remove from another
shell take effect without restarting the scheduler.| Platform | Path |
|---|---|
| Windows | %APPDATA%\cron\crontab.json |
| Other | $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/cron/ or $HOME/.config/cron/ |
Override with the CRON_HOME environment variable.
Use the built-in cron autostart — it
starts the scheduler in your own session at logon without admin rights or Task
Scheduler.