Use systemd service and timer to upload katello tracer

Instead of using cron, use systemd service and timer to upload the
katello tracer. This is modern solution which is also supported by
SUSE Micro distribution (which does not deliver a cron daemon)

Author: sbernhard

packages/client/katello-host-tools/katello-host-tools.spec

@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@
 %global katello_libdir %{python_libdir}/katello
 
 Name: katello-host-tools
-Version: 4.5.0
-Release: 2%{?dist}
+Version: 4.6.0
+Release: 1%{?dist}
 Summary: A set of commands and yum plugins that support a Katello host
 Group:   Development/Languages
 %if 0%{?suse_version}
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ BuildArch: noarch
 %endif
 
 Requires: subscription-manager
+Requires: systemd
 Obsoletes: %{name}-fact-plugin < %{version}-%{release}
 Obsoletes: katello-agent < %{version}-%{release}
 
@@ -98,11 +99,6 @@ BuildArch:  noarch
 Summary:    Adds Tracer functionality to a client managed by katello-host-tools
 Group:      Development/Languages
 Requires: %{name} = %{version}-%{release}
-%if 0%{?suse_version}
-Requires: cronie
-%else
-Requires: crontabs
-%endif
 %if %{yum_install}
 Requires: python2-tracer >= 0.6.12
 %endif
@@ -208,9 +204,12 @@ mkdir -p %{buildroot}%{_sbindir}
 cp extra/katello-tracer-upload-dnf %{buildroot}%{_sbindir}/katello-tracer-upload
 %endif
 
-# crontab
-mkdir -p %{buildroot}%{_sysconfdir}/cron.d/
-cp extra/katello-tracer-upload.cron %{buildroot}%{_sysconfdir}/cron.d/katello-tracer-upload
+# tracer systemd service and timer
+install -Dp -m0644 extra/katello-tracer-upload.service.in %{buildroot}%{_unitdir}/katello-tracer-upload.service
+install -Dp -m0644 extra/katello-tracer-upload.timer %{buildroot}%{_unitdir}/katello-tracer-upload.timer
+
+# replace @SBIN_PATH@ in the service file with the actual path to the executable
+sed -i "s|@SBIN_PATH@|%{_sbindir}|" %{buildroot}%{_unitdir}/katello-tracer-upload.service
 %endif
 
 %clean
@@ -223,6 +222,15 @@ katello-enabled-repos-upload 2> /dev/null
 exit 0
 %endif
 
+%post
+%systemd_post katello-tracer-upload.timer
+
+%preun
+%systemd_preun katello-tracer-upload.timer
+
+%postun
+%systemd_postun katello-tracer-upload.timer
+
 %files
 %defattr(-,root,root,-)
 %if 0%{?rhel} == 6
@@ -273,7 +281,6 @@ exit 0
 %dir %{_usr}/lib/zypp
 %dir %{_usr}/lib/zypp/plugins
 %dir %{plugins_dir}
-%dir %{_sysconfdir}/cron.d/
 %{plugins_dir}/tracer_upload.py
 %else
 %if %{yum_install}
@@ -284,12 +291,17 @@ exit 0
 %endif
 %{katello_libdir}/tracer
 %{plugins_confdir}/tracer_upload.conf
-%config(noreplace) %attr(0644, root, root) %{_sysconfdir}/cron.d/katello-tracer-upload
+%{_unitdir}/katello-tracer-upload.service
+%{_unitdir}/katello-tracer-upload.timer
 %attr(750, root, root) %{_sbindir}/katello-tracer-upload
 %endif
 
 
 %changelog
+* Tue Jun 09 2026 Bernhard Suttner <suttner@atix.de> - 4.6.0-1
+- Use systemd timer implementation instead of cron based
+  solution for tracer upload
+
 * Wed Nov 05 2025 Bernhard Suttner <suttner@atix.de> - 4.5.0-2
 - Fix missing /etc/cron.d/ dir for SLES / OBS build.