Naming

Basic format

Every `.service` file must begin with a `[Unit]` section: .... [Unit] Description=A brief human readable string describing the service (not the .service file!) Documentation=man:foo.service(8) man:foo.conf(5) http://www.foo.org/docs/ .... The `Description=` line must not exceed 80 characters, and must describe the service, and not the `.service` file. For example, "Apache Web Server" is a good description, but "Starts and Stops the Apache Web Server" is a bad one. [[documentation-field]] Documentation field Systemd in Fedora 17+ has support for defining documentation in unit files via the Documentation= field (it is ignored in older releases, so it is safe to keep one systemd unit file across all branches). System administrators will be looking at the contents of the Documentation= field to determine what the service is, how to configure it, and where to locate additional documentation relating to the service. Accordingly, packagers are strongly encouraged to include any available sources in the Documentation= field which provide this information. If a man page or info page is present in the package, refer to it using "man:manpage" or "info:infofile" respectively. If the documentation is in plaintext, use "​file://path/to/file". Lastly, if no local documentation exists in the package, but it exists at a url, use the URL (with ​http://) in this field. Multiple URIs can be added to the Documentation= field, as a space separated list. For details on URI definitions and formatting, please refer to the uri(7) manpage (man uri). [[service]] [Service] +++++++++ Next, the `.service` file must have a `[Service]` section: .... [Service] Type=... ExecStart=... ExecReload=... .... The `Type=` setting is very important. For D-Bus services this should be "dbus", for traditional services "forking" is usually a good idea, for services not offering any interfaces to other services "simple" is best. For "one-shot" scripts "oneshot" is ideal, often combined with `RemainAfterExit=`. See http://0pointer.de/public/systemd-man/systemd.service.html for further discussion on the topic. Since "simple" is the default type, `.service` files which would normally set `Type=simple` may simply omit the `Type` line altogether. `BusName=` should be set for all services connecting to D-Bus. (i.e. it is a must for those where `Type=dbus`, but might make sense otherwise, too) Omit this option if your service does not take a name on the bus. `ExecStart=` is necessary for all services. This line defines the string that you would run to start the daemon, along with any necessary options. `ExecReload=` should be specified for all services supporting reload. It is highly recommended to add code here that synchronously reloads the configuration file here (i.e. `/bin/kill -HUP $MAINPID` is usually a poor choice, due to its asynchronous nature). Omit this option if your service does not support reloading. [[install]] [Install] +++++++++ Finally, the `.service` file should have an `[Install]` section: .... [Install] WantedBy=... .... The recommended parameters for `WantedBy=` are either `graphical.target` (services related to the graphical user interface) or `multi-user.target` (for everything else). When the user (or our scriptlets) invoke `systemctl enable` the service will be set to start in these targets. For more information regarding these options see http://0pointer.de/public/systemd-man/systemd.unit.html and http://0pointer.de/public/systemd-man/systemd.service.html [[environmentfiles-and-support-for-etcsysconfig-files]] EnvironmentFiles and support for /etc/sysconfig files ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The `EnvironmentFiles=` line in the `[Service]` section of `.service` files is used to support loading environment variables that can be used in unit files. For instance, if your sysv-initscript used a file in /etc/sysconfig to set command line options, you can use `EnvironmentFiles=` like so: Example: .... [Service] Type=forking EnvironmentFile=-/etc/sysconfig/httpd ExecStart=/usr/sbin/httpd $OPTIONS ExecReload=/usr/sbin/httpd $OPTIONS -k restart .... You may then refer to variables set in the `/etc/sysconfig/httpd` file with `${FOOBAR}` and `$FOOBAR`, in the `ExecStart=` lines (and related lines). (`${FOOBAR}` expands the variable into one word, `$FOOBAR` splits up the variable value at whitespace into multiple words) The "-" on the `EnvironmentFile=` line ensures that no error messages is generated if the environment file does not exist. Since many of these files were optional in sysvinit, you should include the "-" when using this directive. [[fields-to-avoid]] Fields to avoid ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ For most services, we do not want to use requirement dependencies in the `[Unit]` section, such as `Requires=` or `Wants=`. Instead exclusively use ordering dependencies: `Before=` and `After=`. This is used to implement loose coupling: if someone asks two services to start at the same time, systemd will properly order their startup but not make it strictly necessary to run one if the other is started. If you use a requirement dependency, use `Wants=` rather than `Requires=`, to make things a little bit more robust. If you use a requirement dependency in almost all cases you should also add an ordering dependency, as ordering and requirement dependencies are orthogonal in systemd. Here's an example of this common case: 1. A web application needs postgresql to store its data. 2. It is set to start `After` postgresql. On startup, the web application does not start until postgresql does. 3. Once running, the system administrator needs to restart postgresql due to a config tweak. 4. Since only `After` was used, the web application may be temporarily unable to serve some requests but it does not need to restart in order to serve pages after the database comes back up. Avoid referring to `runlevelX.target` units in all lines taking unit names (such as `WantedBy`), these are legacy names existing for compatibility with SysV only. Avoid `Names=` (in the `[Unit]` section). Usually it is a better idea to symlink an additional name in the file system. Note that a name listed in `Names=` is only useful when a service file is already loaded. However, systemd loads only the service files actually referred to in another loaded service, and uses the filenames during the search. Hence a name in `Names=` is not useful as a search key, but a symlink in the file system is. Also do not put a (redundant) `Names=foobar.service` line into a file called `foobar.service`. We want to keep our service files short. Unit files should avoid using `StandardOutput=` or `StandardError=`. The default is the right choice for almost all cases, and using the default allows users to change global defaults in /etc/systemd/system.conf. [[example-unit-file]] Example Unit file ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ This is an example systemd unit `.service` file for ABRT: .... [Unit] Description=ABRT Automated Bug Reporting Tool [Service] Type=dbus BusName=com.redhat.abrt ExecStart=/usr/sbin/abrtd -d -s [Install] WantedBy=multi-user.target .... [[activation]] Activation ~~~~~~~~~~ Systemd allows for three forms of activated services: link:#Hardware_activation[#Hardware activation], link:#Socket_activation[#Socket activation], and link:#DBus_activation[#DBus activation]. [[hardware-activation]] Hardware activation ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Hardware activation occurs when a service is installed but only turns on if a certain type of hardware is installed. Enabling of the service is normally done with a udev rule. At this time we do not have further guidance on how to write those udev rules. The service itself installs its `.service` files in the normal places and are installed by the normal Packaging:ScriptletSnippets#Systemd[ systemd scriptlets]. These services should never be enabled by the package as they will be enabled by udev. [[socket-activation]] Socket activation ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Socket activation occurs when a service allows systemd to listen for connections to a specific socket and, when systemd receives a connection on that socket, it starts the service. To do this, the upstream source needs to have some minor coding work to let systemd listen for connections on the socket and there needs to be a `.socket` file in `%{_lib}/systemd/system/` that tells systemd to listen to that socket and what to start when a connection is received. This is similar in function to inetd and some, but not all, services coded to work with inetd will work with socket activation. However, socket activation can also be used to allow parallel startup of services. If a service supports systemd socket activation as described above and we additionally start it explicitly on boot, then systemd will start it but allow things that depend on it to startup at the same time. If the dependent service makes a request to the socket activatable service before it has come up, then systemd will cause the request to wait until the socket activatable service has come up and can process the request. To achieve this effect, the service must be socket activatable as described above, the `.service` file for the service needs to have a `Wants=` line for the `.socket`, and the service must autostart. Note that certain socket activated services (notably network listening ones) require FESCo approval - see Packaging:DefaultServices for details. Once you have permission, you can package the `.socket` file and use the systemd scriptlets that enable the service by default. You need to also check the `.service` file to make sure it has a `Wants=` entry on the `.socket` file as that ensures that starting the service will also inform systemd of the socket. [[timer-activation]] Timer activation ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ All packages with timed execution which already depend on systemd (for example because they contain systemd units) must use timer units instead of cron jobs, with no dependency or requirements on a crontab. Packages which do not already depend or require systemd must not use timer units but instead depend and have requirement on crontabs, to avoid introducing unnecessary new dependencies on systemd directly. [[dbus-activation]] DBus activation ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ In order to allow parallel startup of a D-Bus service and its consumers it is essential that D-Bus services can be bus activated and the D-Bus activation request is forwarded from the D-Bus system bus to systemd so that you end up with only a single instance of the service, even if a service is triggered by both boot-up and activation. If historically your D-Bus service was not bus-activated but started via a SysV init script, it should be updated to use bus activation. This may be implemented by dropping a D-Bus `.service` file in `/usr/share/dbus-1/system-services/` and use the `SystemdService=` directive therein to redirect the activation to systemd. Here's an example for a D-Bus bus-activable service. The ConsoleKit bus activation file /usr/share/dbus-1/system-services/org.freedesktop.ConsoleKit.service: .... [D-BUS Service] Name=org.freedesktop.ConsoleKit Exec=/usr/sbin/console-kit-daemon --no-daemon User=root SystemdService=console-kit-daemon.service .... And the matching systemd unit file /lib/systemd/system/console-kit-daemon.service: .... [Unit] Description=Console Manager [Service] Type=dbus BusName=org.freedesktop.ConsoleKit ExecStart=/usr/sbin/console-kit-daemon --no-daemon .... As you can see `SystemdService=` is used in the D-Bus activation file to bind the systemd service to the D-Bus service. Traditionally, bus activated D-Bus services could not be disabled without uninstalling them entirely. systemd allows you to disable services by making D-Bus invoke an alias systemd service name (that can be created or removed to enable/disable activation) as an intermediary for the real service. You can easily implement disabling by directing the D-Bus service to an alias name of the real service file (in the filesystem this shows up as a symlink placed in /etc/systemd/system to the real service file). This alias is then controlled via "systemctl enable" and "systemctl disable". It is a good idea (though technically not necessary) to name this alias name after the D-Bus bus name of the service, prefixed with "dbus-". Example for Avahi, a service that the admin might need to disable: set `SystemdService=dbus-org.freedesktop.Avahi.service` instead of `SystemdService=avahi-daemon.service` in the D-Bus activation file, and then make `dbus-org.freedesktop.Avahi.service` an optional alias of avahi-daemon.service that can be controlled via the `Alias=` directive in the `[Install]` section of the systemd service file. This directive is then read by "systemctl enable" and "systemctl disable" to create resp. remove a symlink to make the service available resp. unavailable under this additional name. A full example for the Avahi case: Here is the D-Bus .service file for Avahi (/usr/share/dbus-1/system-services/org.freedesktop.Avahi.service): .... [D-BUS Service] Name=org.freedesktop.Avahi SystemdService=dbus-org.freedesktop.Avahi.service # This service should not be bus activated if systemd isn't running, # so that activation won't conflict with the init script startup. Exec=/bin/false .... Here is the Avahi systemd unit `.service` file (/lib/systemd/system/avahi-daemon.service): .... [Unit] Description=Avahi mDNS/DNS-SD Stack Requires=avahi-daemon.socket [Service] Type=dbus BusName=org.freedesktop.Avahi ExecStart=/usr/sbin/avahi-daemon -s ExecReload=/usr/sbin/avahi-daemon -r NotifyAccess=main [Install] WantedBy=multi-user.target Also=avahi-daemon.socket Alias=dbus-org.freedesktop.Avahi.service .... The `Alias=` line ensures that the existance of the /etc/systemd/system/dbus-org.freedesktop.Avahi.service symlink can be controlled by "systemctl enable" and "systemctl disable". Note that the creation/removal of the alias symlinks should be done with "systemctl enable" and "systemctl disable" only. You should not create these symlinks manually. In general, it is also recommended to supply native systemd units for all services that are already bus activatable, so that these services can be controlled and supervised centrally like any other service with tools such as systemctl. A similar logic like the one shown above should apply. See the D-Bus documentation for more information about bus activation: http://dbus.freedesktop.org/doc/dbus-specification.html#message-bus-starting-services [[automatic-restarting]] Automatic restarting ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you package a long-running service, please consider enabling systemd's automatic restart feature for it, to improve reliability by making sure the system automatically attempts recovering a failing daemon. Please use .... [Service] ... Restart=on-failure .... or .... [Service] ... Restart=on-abnormal .... in your unit's `.service` file for this. The former will tell systemd to restart the daemon as soon as it fails regardless of the precise reason. It's a good choice for most long-running services. Some daemons require a way to escape constant restarting by exiting with any non-zero exit code. For those services use `Restart=on-abnormal`, which will still restart the daemon when it fails "abnormally", on unclean signal, core dump, timeout or watchdog exits, but not on unclean exit codes. It is recommended to to enable automatic restarts for all long-running services, but which setting is the right one, and whether it is useful at all depends on the specific service. Please consult the `systemd.service(5)` man page for more information on the various settings. [[private-devices-and-networking]] Private devices and networking ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you package a long-running system service, please consider enabling systemd's `PrivateDevices=` and `PrivateNetwork=` settings for it, in order to improve security and minimize the attack surface. When `PrivateDevices=yes` is set in the [Service] section of a systemd service unit file, the processes run for the service will run in a private file system namespace where /dev is replaced by a minimal version that only includes the device nodes /dev/null, /dev/zero, /dev/full, /dev/urandom, /dev/random, /dev/tty as well as the submounts /dev/shm, /dev/pts, /dev/mqueue, /dev/hugepages, and the /dev/stdout, /dev/stderr, /dev/stdin symlinks. No device nodes for physical devices will be included, however. Furthermore, the CAP_MKNOD capability is removed. Finally, the "devices" cgroup controller is used to ensure that no access to device nodes except the listed ones is possible. This is an efficient way to take away physical device access for services, thus minimizing the attack surface. When `PrivateNetwork=yes` is set in the [Service] section of a systemd service unit file, the processes run for the service will run in a private network namespace whith a private loopback network interface, and no other network devices. Network communication between host and service can not be initiated. This is an efficient way to take away network access for services, thus minimizing the attack surface. By default both switches default to "no". Note that `PrivateDevices=yes` should not be used for: * Services that actually require physical device access * Services which may be used to execute arbitrary user or administrator supplied programs (such as cron, ...). We shouldn't limit what people can do with these services. * This option creates a new file system namespace where mount/umount propagation is turned off back into the host. This means that mounts made by the service will stay private to the service. Thus this option should not be used by services which shall be able to establish mounts in the host. Note that `PrivateNetwork=yes` should not be used for: * Services that actually require network access (with the exception of daemons only needing socket activation) * Services which may be used to execute arbitrary user or administrator supplied programs. (see above) * Services which might need to resolve non-system user and group names. Since on some setups resolving non-system users might require network access to an LDAP or NIS server, enabling this option on might break resolving of these user names. Note however that system users/groups are always resolvable even without network access. Hence it is safe to enable this option for daemons which just need to resolve their own system user or group name. * This also disconnects the AF_UNIX abstract namespace from the host (In case you wonder what this refers to: sockets listed in /proc/net/unix that start with an @ are in the abstract namespace, those which start in / are in the file system namespace). This means that services which listen or connect to AF_UNIX sockets in the abstract namespaces might break. AF_UNIX sockets in the file system continue to work correctly even with PrivateNetwork?=yes. We strongly recommend anyway to stop using abstract namespace AF_UNIX sockets, as they bring very little benefit these days. If your package uses them please consider moving them into the file system into a subdirectory in /run (system services) or $XDG_RUNTIME_DIR (user services). * This also disconnects the AF_NETLINK and AF_AUDIT socket families from the host. For services requiring auditing, that need to subscribe to network configuration changes, or want to subscribe to hardware devices coming and going (udev) PrivateNetwork?=yes cannot be used hence. For further details see the systemd.exec(5) man page. [[packaging]] Packaging --------- [[filesystem-locations]] Filesystem locations ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Packages with systemd unit files *must* put them into `%{_unitdir}`. `%{_unitdir}` evaluates to /lib/systemd/system on all Fedora systems (F-15+). Unit files are architecture independent (hence, not `%{_lib}`) and needed early in the boot process. Please note that in order for the `%{_unitdir}` macro to exist, your package must have: .... BuildRequires: systemd .... [[files-section]] %files section ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Systemd unit `.service` files must not be marked as `%config` files. [[unit-files-in-spec-file-scriptlets]] Unit files in spec file scriptlets ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Information on proper handling of unit files in spec file scriptlets can be found here: :Packaging:Scriptlets#Systemd [[tmpfiles.d]] Tmpfiles.d ~~~~~~~~~~ tmpfiles.d is a service provided systemd in Fedora 15 and later for managing temporary files and directories for daemons. For more information on how to use Tmpfiles.d in Fedora Packages, please see: :Packaging:Tmpfiles.d [[why-dont-we....]] Why don't we.... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Start the service after installation? Installations can be in changeroots, in an installer context, or in other situations where you don't want the services autostarted.