The original March 2025 thread asked for an automatic shutdown function and immediately received a community systemd-timer workaround. That workaround is now mostly historical: ZimaOS 1.4.1 added a built-in scheduled shutdown function, so current users no longer need to create their own shutdown service just to power the NAS off at a fixed time each day.
Powering the machine back on is a different problem. Once a server is fully shut down, ZimaOS itself is no longer running and cannot execute another software timer. Startup depends on hardware features such as Wake-on-LAN, an RTC alarm, restore-on-AC-power behavior, or an external smart plug.
Scheduled Shutdown Is Now Built Into ZimaOS
The ZimaOS 1.4.1 release notes list scheduled shutdown as a new feature and say the shutdown time can be set from the shutdown control.
That means the community's custom systemd service and timer from March 2025 should not be the default recommendation for a current installation. Use the built-in scheduled shutdown introduced in ZimaOS 1.4.1 instead.
What the Historical systemd Timer Was Doing
The source workaround created a one-shot service that called the Linux shutdown command and a daily timer that triggered it at 23:00. It also enabled the timer through systemd.
Those commands were posted by a community member, not IceWhale staff. They were reasonable Linux administration, but they are unnecessary for the common current use case and add another configuration that must survive updates and reboots.
A Shutdown Schedule Does Not Automatically Create a Startup Schedule
The original user then asked whether the server could turn itself back on at 07:00. The community answer shifted to BIOS features because software running inside ZimaOS cannot wake a fully powered-off machine unless the hardware/firmware is prepared to do so.
RTC Alarm Wake Is Hardware-Dependent
The community responder said their ZimaBlade BIOS exposed RTC Alarm Power On, including a fixed-time mode. Later IceWhale discussions also noted that Linux rtcwake exists on ZimaOS, but hardware compatibility needs to be checked first.
Do not assume every third-party x86 mini PC exposes the same RTC controls or supports wake from the same sleep/power states.
Wake-on-LAN Is Another Option
Many systems can wake from a powered-down state when the NIC receives a magic packet, provided Wake-on-LAN is enabled in firmware and supported by the network adapter. The sending device must still be online somewhere on the network to transmit that packet.
For ZimaCube, current BIOS documentation explicitly describes Wake-on-LAN as a power option. Other hardware should be checked against its own BIOS and NIC behavior.
Restore on AC Power Can Work with a Smart Plug
A simple home-server pattern is:
- let ZimaOS perform a clean scheduled shutdown;
- turn the smart plug off a few minutes later;
- turn the plug back on in the morning;
- configure the hardware to power on automatically when AC returns.
Current ZimaCube documentation describes the Restore on AC Power Loss behavior for automatic startup. The exact option varies by motherboard.
Use a Clean OS Shutdown Before Cutting Power
A smart plug should not be used as the shutdown mechanism while ZimaOS is running. Abruptly removing power can interrupt filesystem writes, Docker databases, backup jobs, or RAID activity.
Schedule the clean shutdown first and leave enough delay before removing AC power.
Scheduled Power FAQ
Does current ZimaOS support scheduled shutdown?
Yes. It was added as a built-in feature in ZimaOS 1.4.1.
Does scheduled shutdown automatically power the machine back on?
No. Startup requires a separate hardware or firmware mechanism such as RTC wake, Wake-on-LAN, or restore-on-AC behavior.
Should I still create the community systemd shutdown timer?
Usually not. It predates the built-in scheduled shutdown feature.
