Anacron on Artix

2025-06-16

On Arch Anacron is a systemd process

Anacron ensures cron scripts are run on machines that are frequently powered off

On Artix it can be run via cron (cronie)

+ +

The /etc/crontab file

+ +

# /etc/crontab: configuration file for cron
+# See cron(8) and crontab(5) for details.
+# m h dom mon dow user command
+
+SHELL=/bin/bash
+PATH=/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin
+MAILTO=root
+HOME=/
+
+# run-parts
+# (also runs the 0anacron script every hour)
+12  * * * * root run-parts /etc/cron.hourly
+22 10 * * * root run-parts /etc/cron.daily
+32 10 * * 0 root run-parts /etc/cron.weekly
+42 10 1 * * root run-parts /etc/cron.monthly
+

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The /etc/cron.hourly/0anacron script

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#!/bin/sh
+# Check whether 0anacron was run today already
+if test -r /var/spool/anacron/cron.daily; then
+day=`cat /var/spool/anacron/cron.daily`
+fi
+if [ `date +%Y%m%d` = "$day" ]; then
+exit 0;
+fi
+
+# Do not run jobs when on battery power
+if test -x /usr/bin/on_ac_power; then
+/usr/bin/on_ac_power >/dev/null 2>&1
+if test $? -eq 1; then
+exit 0
+fi
+fi
+/usr/sbin/anacron -s
+

+ +

The /etc/anacrontab file

+ +

# /etc/anacrontab: configuration file for anacron
+
+# See anacron(8) and anacrontab(5) for details.
+
+SHELL=/bin/sh
+PATH=/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin
+MAILTO=root
+# the maximal random delay added to the base delay of the jobs
+RANDOM_DELAY=45
+# the jobs will be started during the following hours only
+START_HOURS_RANGE=3-22
+
+#period in days   delay in minutes   job-identifier   command
+1	5	cron.daily	nice run-parts /etc/cron.daily
+7	25	cron.weekly	nice run-parts /etc/cron.weekly
+@monthly	45	cron.monthly	nice run-parts /etc/cron.monthly
+

+ +