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MCP Crontab Explorer

MCP Crontab Explorer

Local
github.com/jasona7Developer Tools4Updated 35w ago
Repository

About MCP Crontab Explorer

MCP Crontab Explorer provides tools to inspect and manage crontab entries, explain cron expressions, and calculate upcoming runs. It is intended for users of MCP clients who need to work with scheduled jobs and their logs.

Key features

  1. 01List and search crontab entries
  2. 02View recent cron execution logs
  3. 03Explain cron expressions
  4. 04Calculate upcoming run times
  5. 05Validate cron expressions
  6. 06Add and remove entries

Use cases

  1. 01Find a scheduled job by keyword
  2. 02Understand an unfamiliar cron expression
  3. 03Check upcoming execution times
  4. 04Review logs or change crontab entries

MCP support

An MCP server that exposes crontab inspection, scheduling, log, and management tools to clients such as Claude Desktop and Claude Code.

Configuration

Local server config is the same for every client. Copy it into your client’s MCP config file.

mcp.json · Universal config
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "crontab-server": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-crontab-server"
      ]
    }
  }
}
Run commanduvx mcp-crontab-server

Local servers need a runtime on your machine (e.g. Node.js 18+). Config file locations differ by client; see your client’s docs.

Packages
pypimcp-crontab-server

Tools

No tool list yet

Local servers expose tools only once running on your machine, and the maintainer has not provided a tool list.

Details

From the project README

MCP Crontab Server

An MCP server for exploring, explaining, and managing crontab entries. Works with Claude Desktop, Claude Code, and any MCP client.

Standout features: Explain cron expressions in plain English and calculate upcoming execution times — no more guessing what */15 9-17 * * 1-5 means.

Quick Start

Claude Desktop

Add to your Claude Desktop config (claude_desktop_config.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "crontab": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["mcp-crontab-server"]
    }
  }
}
Claude Code
claude mcp add crontab -- uvx mcp-crontab-server
Install from source
git clone https://github.com/jalloway/mcp-crontab-server.git
cd mcp-crontab-server
pip install -e .
mcp-crontab-server

Tools

ToolDescription
list_crontabList all crontab entries for the current user
search_crontabSearch entries by keyword (case-insensitive)
get_cron_logsRecent cron execution logs (journalctl / syslog)
explain_cron_expressionExplain a cron expression in plain English
next_runsCalculate the next N execution times
validate_cron_expressionCheck if an expression is syntactically valid
add_cron_entryAdd a new entry to the user's crontab
remove_cron_entryRemove entries matching a pattern

Example Conversations

"What does this cron expression mean?"

explain_cron_expression("*/15 9-17 * * 1-5")

Every 15 minutes, from 9:00 AM through 5:59 PM, Monday through Friday

"When will this job run next?"

next_runs("0 2 * * 0", count=3)

Next 3 runs for '0 2 * * 0':

  1. 2026-03-01 02:00:00 Sunday
  2. 2026-03-08 02:00:00 Sunday
  3. 2026-03-15 02:00:00 Sunday

"Is this valid?"

validate_cron_expression("60 * * * *")

Invalid: Value 60 out of range (0-59) in minute field

Development

pip install -e .

# Run with MCP inspector
fastmcp dev src/mcp_crontab_server/server.py

# Run directly (stdio transport, default)
mcp-crontab-server

# Run with SSE transport
mcp-crontab-server --transport sse

Requirements

  • Python 3.10+
  • Linux/macOS (uses crontab command)
  • fastmcp>=2.0.0, croniter>=1.0.0

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