$ norc-cli

The headless control plane for your crontabs.

Install it on any server or machine. It pairs once via a device code, then runs unattended as a background service — syncing crontab changes, watching for failures, no GUI required.

Install norc-cli See pricing

Prefer a GUI? Explore norc-desktop.

Install norc-cli

Live today via npm, Homebrew, and apt. winget/choco/scoop land with the first tagged release.

Channel	Platform	Command
npm	macOS, Linux, Windows	`npm install -g norc-cli`
brew	macOS	`brew install norcapp/norc/norc-cli`
apt	Linux	`sudo apt install norc-cli` needs a one-time repo + key setup first
winget	Windows	`winget install norc.norc-cli` Coming soon
choco	Windows	`choco install norc-cli` Coming soon
scoop	Windows	`scoop install norc-cli` Coming soon

Pair once. Run unattended.

Install, pair, add a job, and register the background service — four commands, then it's hands-off.

prod-03 — norc-cli

$ norc pair enter this code in the norc web app to pair this machine: R2M-4XQ paired. machine id: m_9c21f0 $ norc jobs add "0 3 * * *" /opt/backup/nightly.sh added job 6d4f1b $ norc service install registered per-user background service (systemd --user) norc service installed. $ norc jobs list 6d4f1b enabled 0 3 * * * /opt/backup/nightly.sh (unmanaged) enabled 0 4 * * 0 /etc/scripts/legacy-rotate.sh

No browser? No problem.

CI runners and fresh VMs don't have a browser to pop a device code into. Hand it an API key instead — same headless pairing, one command. Something not connecting? --debug traces every call, secrets redacted.

ci-runner — norc-cli

$ norc login --key norc_sk_7cQ2mX9wPq... logged in. machine id: 8c9844d4 $ NORC_DEBUG=1 norc jobs list [debug] config: ~/.config/norc/config.json [debug] GET https://vault.norc.app/api/v1/jobs [debug] authorization: Bearer norc_sk_7cQ2…(28 chars) 200 OK — 2 jobs 6d4f1b enabled 0 3 * * * /opt/backup/nightly.sh a1e09c enabled */15 * * * * /opt/scripts/health-check.sh

Built to run unattended

Everything the background service needs, nothing a server doesn't.

Per-user background service

Installs as a systemd --user unit, a macOS LaunchAgent, or a logon-triggered Windows Scheduled Task — no root/admin required, starts on login.

Safe crontab writes

norc-cli only touches the jobs it manages — foreign and hand-written entries are preserved untouched.

Cross-device sync

Jobs and machines stay in sync across every device you sign in from, including your desktop if you also run norc-desktop.

Run history & failures

See when jobs ran, what they returned, and which ones failed — instead of finding out the hard way.

AI schedule generation

Describe a schedule in plain language and turn it into a correct cron expression (bring your own key).

Headless login

norc login --key pairs a machine with an API key instead of a device code — no browser, no email round-trip. Built for CI runners and provisioning scripts.

Debug tracing, secrets redacted

--debug (or NORC_DEBUG=1) traces every backend call and config path when something isn’t connecting. API keys and device tokens print as a short prefix, never in full.

Plays well with norc-desktop

If norc-desktop is also installed on the same machine, norc-cli warns you at install time and every startup — instead of silently racing it for the same crontab.

Not raw cron. Not a pager.

Raw cron has no sync, no history, no safety net. Monitoring-only tools tell you a job failed after the fact — they don't let you fix it. norc-cli edits, deploys, and watches jobs across your whole fleet, headless.

	Raw cron	Monitoring-only tools	norc-cli
Cross-device sync	No	No	Yes
Edits jobs remotely	No	No	Yes
Run history	No	Yes	Yes
Runs headless, no GUI	Yes	Yes	Yes

See the full comparison against Cronitor, Healthchecks.io & Dead Man's Snitch →

one binary, five package managers, zero GUI required.
norc-cli is the headless half of the norc control plane.

Install norc-cli