Name

systemd.timer — systemd timer configuration files

Synopsis

systemd.timer

Options

Timer files must include a [Timer] section, which carries information about the timer it defines. The options specific to the [Timer] section of timer units are the following:

OnActiveSec=, OnBootSec=, OnStartupSec=, OnUnitActiveSec=, OnUnitInactiveSec=

Defines timers relative to different starting points: OnActiveSec= defines a timer relative to the moment the timer itself is activated. OnBootSec= defines a timer relative to when the machine was booted up. OnStartupSec= defines a timer relative to when systemd was started. OnUnitActiveSec= defines a timer relative to when the unit the timer is activating was last activated. OnUnitInactiveSec= defines a timer relative to when the unit the timer is activating was last deactivated.

Multiple directives may be combined of the same and of different types. For example, by combining OnBootSec= and OnUnitActiveSec= it is possible to define a timer that elapses in regular intervals and activates a specific service each time.

The arguments to the directives are time spans configured in seconds. Example: "OnBootSec=50" means 50s after boot-up. The argument may also include time units. Example: "OnBootSec=5h 30min" means 5 hours and 30 minutes after boot-up. For details about the syntax of time spans see systemd.unit(5).

If a timer configured with OnBootSec= or OnStartupSec= is already in the past when the timer unit is activated, it will immediately elapse and the configured unit is started. This is not the case for timers defined in the other directives.

Unit=

The unit to activate when this timer elapses. The argument is a unit name, whose suffix is not .timer. If not specified, this value defaults to a service that has the same name as the timer unit, except for the suffix. (See above.) It is recommended that the unit name that is activated and the unit name of the timer unit are named identically, except for the suffix.