norc-cli

norc-cli is a headless cron job scheduler. Install it on any server or machine, pair it once via a device code, and it runs unattended as a background service — syncing crontab changes, watching for failures, no GUI required.

Install

One package per platform’s native manager. Landing with the first tagged release — none of these are live yet.

Channel	Platform	Command
brew	macOS	brew install norc-cli
apt	Linux	sudo apt install norc-cli
winget	Windows	winget install norc.norc-cli
choco	Windows	choco install norc-cli
scoop	Windows	scoop install norc-cli

Pair once, run unattended

$ 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

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

What it does

• 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 — 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 norc-desktop on the same machine.
• Run history & failures — see when jobs ran, what they returned, and which ones failed.
• 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 both are installed on the same machine, norc-cli warns at install time and every startup instead of silently racing for the same crontab.