$ 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.
Prefer a GUI? Explore norc-desktop.
Install norc-cli
One package per platform's native manager. Landing with the first tagged release.
| Channel | Platform | Command |
|---|---|---|
| brew | macOS | brew install norc-cli Coming soon |
| apt | Linux | sudo apt install norc-cli Coming soon |
| 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.
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).
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.