agent-self-scheduling

name	agent-self-scheduling
description	Schedule AI agent runs with cron, loops, or external clocks while avoiding unsafe tight autonomous timers.
category	agent-orchestration
risk	critical
source	community
source_repo	davidondrej/skills
source_type	community
date_added	2026-07-07
author	davidondrej
tags	["agents","scheduling","automation","cron"]
tools	["claude","codex"]
license	MIT
license_source	https://github.com/davidondrej/skills/blob/main/LICENSE

Agent Self-Scheduling

When to Use

• Use when the user asks for recurring, scheduled, heartbeat, or looped agent work.
• Use when you need to choose between cron, external schedulers, hooks, or built-in agent scheduling.

First question: does the agent have a built-in scheduler (Hermes → Camp B), or do you own the clock (everything else → Camp A)?

Universal floor: cron is 1 minute minimum (5-field expr, no seconds) — every camp. For sub-minute you MUST use a while ...; sleep N; done loop, a TS extension, or an event hook. Never put an LLM on a tight timer.

Camp A — one-shot agents, you own the clock

These run once and exit (amnesiac unless resumed). Schedule them externally.

claude -p "PROMPT" --output-format json --allowedTools "Read,Edit,Bash"  # Claude Code
codex exec --json "PROMPT"                                                # Codex
pi run "PROMPT"                                                           # Pi

Wrap in a clock:

# 1. cron (>= 1 min floor)
*/10 * * * * cd /path/to/project && pi run "check X and report" >> ~/agent.log 2>&1
# 2. systemd timer (Linux, survives reboot, better logging) — OnUnitActiveSec=10min
# 3. dumb loop (sub-minute, or no cron available)
while true; do pi run "check X"; sleep 30; done

Gotchas (each breaks unattended runs if ignored):

• Permissions hang forever. Pass --allowedTools (Claude) or sandbox/auto-approve flags (Codex), or the run blocks on a prompt.
• Use JSON output (--output-format json / --json) so the wrapper parses results deterministically.
• Runs are amnesiac. Resume (codex exec resume --last) or persist state to a file the next run reads.

Pi has NO built-in scheduler/loop/heartbeat by design — external clock only (or a TS extension for agent-side timers).