systemd Timer+Service to run multiple times a day

Let’s create a systemd service and timer that will automatically re-render all websites multiple times a day at specified times.

Step 1: Create the Systemd Service

This service will execute the render_hugo.sh --all command to regenerate all websites.

1. Open a terminal and create a new systemd service file:

   sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/hugo-render.service
   

2. Add the following content:

   [Unit]
   Description=Re-render all Hugo websites
   After=network.target
   
   [Service]
   Type=oneshot
   User=pi  # Change to the appropriate user who owns the websites
   WorkingDirectory=/home/pi  # Change if needed
   ExecStart=/home/pi/render_hugo.sh --all
   StandardOutput=journal
   StandardError=journal
   

3. Save and exit (CTRL+X, then Y, then Enter).

Step 2: Create the Systemd Timer

This timer will trigger the service multiple times a day at specific times.

1. Create a new timer file:

   sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/hugo-render.timer
   

2. Add the following content:

   [Unit]
   Description=Timer to re-render all Hugo websites at specific times
   Requires=hugo-render.service
   
   [Timer]
   OnCalendar=*-*-* 06:00:00
   OnCalendar=*-*-* 12:00:00
   OnCalendar=*-*-* 18:00:00
   OnCalendar=*-*-* 23:00:00
   Persistent=true
   
   [Install]
   WantedBy=timers.target
   

   Explanation:

   • OnCalendar=*-*-* 06:00:00 → Runs at 06:00 AM.
   • OnCalendar=*-*-* 12:00:00 → Runs at 12:00 PM.
   • OnCalendar=*-*-* 18:00:00 → Runs at 06:00 PM.
   • OnCalendar=*-*-* 23:00:00 → Runs at 11:00 PM.
   • You can modify these times as needed.

3. Save and exit (CTRL+X, then Y, then Enter).

Step 3: Enable and Start the Timer

Run the following commands:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable hugo-render.timer
sudo systemctl start hugo-render.timer

To check if the timer is active, run:

systemctl list-timers --all

To manually trigger the render, you can run:

sudo systemctl start hugo-render.service

To check logs for the service, use:

journalctl -u hugo-render.service --no-pager --reverse

Modifying the Schedule

If you want to change the times, edit /etc/systemd/system/hugo-render.timer and adjust the OnCalendar values.

After making changes, reload the systemd daemon and restart the timer:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl restart hugo-render.timer

Now your Hugo sites will be automatically re-rendered multiple times a day at the specified times! 🚀 Let me know if you need any modifications.