# GoSentry
GoSentry is a cross-platform desktop scheduler. It provides a native GUI for
creating, grouping, pausing, running, and monitoring scheduled shell commands.
## Screenshots
Jobs tab — job list with details panel and run statistics.
Settings tab — application, queue, storage, and version info.
## Features
- Native desktop GUI built with [Fyne](https://fyne.io/).
- Job definitions stored in a clean, hand-editable `jobs.json`.
- `@every` intervals and standard 5-field cron expressions.
- Manual and scheduled command runs.
- Parallel or sequential execution mode; overlap policy (skip or queue) set globally or per job.
- Run timeout, off by default, set globally or per job.
- Per-run `.log` files with stdout/stderr capture.
- Log cleanup by maximum file count and maximum age.
- Global pause/resume for scheduled job execution (manual runs remain available).
- Desktop notifications on job failure.
- Windows tray icon: left-click to show the window, right-click for the menu.
- Autostart on login (Windows shortcut; Linux XDG desktop entry).
- Detailed or compact job list, and a system or branded theme; both are remembered.
## Platforms
GoSentry is built and tested on **Windows** and **Linux**:
| Platform | Status | Notes |
|----------|--------|-------|
| Windows | Supported | Tray icon, autostart shortcut (`.lnk`), desktop integration. |
| Linux | Supported | Autostart via XDG desktop entry; desktop integration on X11/Wayland. |
| macOS | Not supported | The Fyne GUI may build, but autostart and desktop integration are not implemented. |
## Documentation
- [Changelog](docs/CHANGELOG.md) — record of notable changes by version
- [Roadmap](docs/ROADMAP.md) — planned work larger than a single bug fix
- [Architecture](docs/ARCHITECTURE.md) — component interaction model
- [Standards](docs/STANDARDS.md) — quality rules and intentional behavior
- [Review](docs/REVIEW.md) — what a whole-project review looks at
- [Development](docs/DEVELOPMENT.md) — build instructions, project layout, dependencies
- [Tests](docs/TESTS.md) — test suite layout and how to run it
- [Performance](docs/PERFORMANCE.md) — measured performance findings
## Storage
GoSentry stores its files next to the executable by default, making it a
portable application: moving the program folder also moves its configuration.
`gosentry.json` stores application settings:
```json
{
"jobs_file": "jobs.json",
"logs_dir": "logs",
"max_log_files": 100,
"max_log_age_days": 30,
"keep_running_in_tray": true,
"notify_on_failure": true,
"execution_mode": "parallel",
"overlap_policy": "skip",
"default_timeout_seconds": 0,
"theme": "gosentry",
"job_list_view": "detailed"
}
```
That is the file GoSentry writes on first run. `default_timeout_seconds` is the
run timeout applied to jobs that do not set their own; `0` means no timeout, and
it is written out even though it is zero, because a missing value and a
deliberate "no timeout" have to stay distinguishable in a hand-edited file.
`theme` is `system` or `gosentry` (the branded teal/amber look), and
`job_list_view` is `detailed` or `compact` — both are remembered from the
choices made in the app. Keys left at their off value (`start_on_login`,
`paused`) are omitted until they are turned on.
`jobs.json` stores job definitions:
```json
{
"jobs": [
{
"id": 1,
"name": "Hello scheduler",
"folder": "Examples",
"schedule": "@every 1m",
"command": "echo GoSentry test job: scheduler is alive",
"enabled": true
}
]
}
```
`jobs_file` is the file GoSentry reads job definitions from, file name included,
so the file can be named anything. The default `"jobs.json"` is relative and
resolves to the executable's folder. An absolute path can be used when jobs
should live elsewhere, such as a shared network drive.
A `gosentry.json` from an earlier version that carries `jobs_dir` instead keeps
working: the directory is combined with `jobs.json` on load, and the file is
rewritten with `jobs_file`.
`logs_dir` is relative to the program folder when it does not start with a
drive letter or `/`.
Command output is written to separate files under `logs_dir`. File names
include the run timestamp and job name:
```text
20260614-224306_Hello_scheduler.log
```
## Schedules
GoSentry accepts two schedule forms: fixed `@every` intervals and standard
5-field cron expressions.
### `@every` intervals
Write `@every` followed by a [Go duration](https://pkg.go.dev/time#ParseDuration)
— a positive number with a unit suffix. Units can be combined in one value:
```text
@every 10s every 10 seconds
@every 5m every 5 minutes
@every 1h every hour
@every 1h30m every hour and a half (same as @every 90m)
@every 2h45m10s hours, minutes, and seconds combined
```
Supported units:
| Unit | Meaning |
|------|---------|
| `ns` | nanoseconds |
| `us`, `µs` | microseconds |
| `ms` | milliseconds |
| `s` | seconds |
| `m` | minutes |
| `h` | hours |
`@every` does **not** support days, weeks, months, or years — those follow a
calendar, not a fixed interval. For “every day at 02:00”, “on the 1st of each
month”, or “once a year”, use a cron expression (below).
The scheduler checks due jobs once per second, so values shorter than `1s` are
accepted but will not fire faster than once a second.
### Cron expressions
Five fields: minute, hour, day-of-month, month, day-of-week.
```text
*/5 * * * * every five minutes
0 2 * * * every day at 02:00
30 9 * * 1-5 weekdays at 09:30
0 0 1 * * first day of every month at midnight
0 0 1 1 * every year on 1 January at midnight
```
Named descriptors are also accepted: `@hourly`, `@daily`, `@weekly`,
`@monthly`, `@yearly` (and `@annually`, `@midnight`).
## Using The App
1. Start GoSentry.
2. Use **New job** to create a scheduled command.
3. Set **Schedule**, **Command**, optional **Arguments**, **Folder**, and **Enabled**.
4. Use **Run now** for a one-off manual run without waiting for the schedule.
5. Use **Pause** on a single job to suspend it without deleting it.
6. Use **Pause all** as a global stop switch for all scheduled runs.
7. Open **History** to see past runs, their trigger (`Manual`, `Schedule`, or `UI`), state, and log file.
8. Open **Settings** to change the storage paths, log cleanup limits, queue behavior, and notifications.
The **Jobs file** row picks the file itself: **Browse** lists `.json` files, and
a path can also be typed to name a file that does not exist yet. What Save does
depends on whether that file is already there:
- **The file exists** — its jobs are loaded and replace the current list, so
selecting a jobs file switches to it (another machine's file, a shared one on
a network drive). History records how many jobs were loaded and from where.
- **The file does not exist** — the current jobs are written to it, which is how
the jobs file is renamed or moved somewhere else.
Switching to a different jobs file is refused while a job is running, because
loading a new list discards the run state of the old one.
The **Start on login** checkbox shows an `OK` or `Problem` status. Saving with
it enabled writes an autostart entry using the current executable path.
Autostart entries include `--start-in-tray` so scheduled jobs run after sign-in
without opening the main window.
## Queue Settings
Three settings in the **Queue** group of the Settings tab control how
simultaneous, overlapping, and over-long runs are handled.
**Execution mode** — applies when multiple jobs become due at the same tick:
| Value | Behaviour |
|-------|-----------|
| `parallel` (default) | All due jobs start at the same time. |
| `sequential` | Due jobs are started one after another, in the order they appear in the list. |
**Default overlap policy** — applies when a job's next scheduled run fires while
its previous run is still active:
| Value | Behaviour |
|-------|-----------|
| `skip` (default) | The new run is discarded; the running instance continues. |
| `queue` | The new run is held and starts immediately after the current run finishes. |
**Default timeout (s)** — how long a run may take before it is killed. `0` (the
default) means no limit.
The last two are defaults: a job's own dialog has an **Overlap policy** and a
**Timeout (s)** field that override them. A job that overrides nothing follows
whatever the Settings tab says, so changing a default moves every such job with
it. In `jobs.json` an override is an `overlap_policy` or `timeout_seconds` key
on the job; absent means inherit. A `"timeout_seconds": 0` on a job is an
override too — it means that job has no timeout even when the global default
sets one.
## Notifications
When **Notify on failure** is enabled in Settings, GoSentry sends a desktop
notification whenever a scheduled or manual run exits with a non-zero exit code.
The notification shows the job name and the exit code.
## Autostart
GoSentry is a user desktop application, not a system daemon, so autostart is
configured per user.
Linux:
```ini
# GoSentry writes an XDG Autostart desktop entry when Start on login is enabled.
~/.config/autostart/gosentry.desktop
[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Name=GoSentry
Exec=/opt/gosentry/gosentry--linux-amd64 --start-in-tray
Terminal=false
```
Windows:
```text
# GoSentry writes a shortcut to the current user's Startup folder.
# A .lnk stores the executable path as TargetPath and --start-in-tray as
# Arguments, so paths with spaces do not need fragile command-line quoting.
%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\GoSentry.lnk
```
## Troubleshooting
### Windows, VirtualBox, RDP, And OpenGL
GoSentry uses [Fyne](https://fyne.io/), and Fyne uses GLFW/OpenGL to create the
desktop window. In a Windows virtual machine, especially when accessed through
RDP inside VirtualBox, the available video driver can fail OpenGL initialization.
Typical error:
```text
Fyne error: window creation error
Cause: APIUnavailable: WGL: The driver does not appear to support OpenGL
```
Known workaround:
1. Download a Windows Mesa build from
[mesa-dist-win](https://github.com/pal1000/mesa-dist-win/releases). Use the
archive named like `mesa3d--release-mingw.7z` — this matches the
MSYS2 GCC toolchain used to build GoSentry. The `devel`, `debug-info`,
`tests`, and checksum files are not needed.
2. Open the archive and use the `x64` build.
3. Copy the Mesa OpenGL DLL files from `x64` into the same directory as the
GoSentry `.exe`:
```text
dist\windows\
gosentry--windows-amd64.exe
opengl32.dll
...
```
Mesa's software OpenGL implementation lets the Fyne window start even when the
VirtualBox/RDP driver does not provide usable OpenGL.
## Development assistance
Parts of this project were developed with assistance from [Cursor](https://cursor.com/) AI (Composer agent)
and [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code).