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Get up and running with Cronium in just a few minutes. This guide will walk you through creating your first automated script.
By the end of this guide, you'll have a working automated script that runs on a schedule.
Cronium is self-hosted. Deploy it first with the self-hosting guide.
SSH access to a server for remote execution.
Access the dashboard on your self-hosted instance
Open your Cronium instance in a browser. On a fresh deployment the first visit shows a one-time setup page where you create the admin account — there are no default credentials. (Headless installs can seed the admin instead via AUTO_SEED_ADMIN=true and the ADMIN_* variables.)
Tip: Additional users are added by an administrator from the admin page; public registration is closed by default.
Self-hosting note: Live logs and terminals use short-lived authenticated socket tickets. On a public instance, proxy only /api/socketio over TLS to the loopback-bound port 5002, and configure exactSOCKET_ALLOWED_ORIGINS only if your trusted browser origin differs from PUBLIC_APP_URL/AUTH_URL.
Configure a server for remote script execution
Before creating events, you'll need to add at least one server where your scripts can run.
Go to Dashboard → Servers → Add Server
Paste your private SSH key or generate a new key pair:
# Generate a new SSH key pair
ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -C "cronium@yourserver"
# Copy your public key to the server
ssh-copy-id user@your-server.comRemote execution is disabled by default. A stored SSH credential alone cannot isolate untrusted jobs. SetCRONIUM_SSH_EXECUTION_ISOLATION_MODE=operator-enforced only when a trusted external launcher gives every mutually untrusted job a separate UID or isolated container. Do not enable it for a normal shared SSH account.
Set up an automated script
Now let's create a simple event that will run a basic script on your server.
Go to Dashboard → Events → Create Event
Add this simple script:
#!/bin/bash
# Simple hello world script
echo "Hello from Cronium!"
echo "Current date: $(date)"
echo "Server hostname: $(hostname)"
# Show system information
echo "System uptime:"
uptimeChoose the server you added in the previous step.
Run your script manually to ensure it works
Before scheduling your event, let's test it to make sure everything works correctly.
Click the "Run Now" button next to your event.
Watch the real-time logs as your script executes:
Check the execution logs and verify that your script ran without errors.
Success! If you see the output above, your event is working correctly and ready to be scheduled.
Set up automatic execution
Now that your event is working, let's schedule it to run automatically.
Click "Edit" on your event and navigate to the Schedule section.
Choose when you want your script to run. Here are some common examples:
* * * * *0 * * * *0 2 * * *0 0 * * 1For testing, let's use */5 * * * * to run every 5 minutes.
Make sure the event is set to "Active" status.
Click "Save Event" to activate the schedule.
Congratulations! Your event is now scheduled and will run automatically. You can monitor its execution in the Events dashboard.
Learn about advanced features like workflows, environment variables, and monitoring.
View Features GuideCreate complex automation workflows with multiple events and conditional logic.
Learn WorkflowsIntegrate Cronium with your applications using our comprehensive API.
View API DocsStep-by-step guides for common tasks and advanced use cases.
Browse GuidesIf you run into any issues or have questions, here are some resources: