User defined units work whenever systemctl wants.

[VentGrey]

systemd version the issue has been seen with

254

Used distribution

Debian 12

Linux kernel version used

6.6.13+bpo-amd64

CPU architectures issue was seen on

x86_64

Component

systemctl

Expected behaviour you didn't see

User defined units working perfectly. Like they should since version 239 🤦

These unprivileged unit-files work when they want, no matter the method used to generate them.

Unexpected behaviour you saw

You tell me:

~$ systemctl --user daemon-reload
~$ systemctl --user start podmandemo

Failed to start podmandemo.service: Unit podmandemo.service not found.

# Okay, let's test if file exists...
~$ [ -f ~/.config/systemd/user/podmandemo.service ] && echo 1 || echo 0
1

Steps to reproduce the problem

1. Create a systemd unit file in $HOME/.config/systemd/user
2. Do a systemctl --user daemon-reload
3. Try to enable or activate your unit file
4. Enjoy failing

// Alternatively

1. Create a podman container
2. Generate your container/pod unit file with podman generate systemd --new enable-sysadmin > ~/.config/systemd/user/podmandemo.service
3. Perform a systemctl --user daemon-reload
4. Try starting/enabling your service
5. Pray that systemctl wants to enable your service this time.
6. Enjoy success or failure

This also happens when:

• Expanding the XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=/run/user/$UID is used before the systemctl command
• Direct sessions (e.g: ssh) into the user where you wish to create the unprivileged unit-file.

Additional program output to the terminal or log subsystem illustrating the issue

For: systemctl --user daemon-reload

Cannot stat /proc/1/root: Permiso denegado
running_in_chroot(): Permiso denegado
Bus n/a: changing state UNSET → OPENING
sd-bus: starting bus by connecting to /run/user/1091/systemd/private...
Bus n/a: changing state OPENING → AUTHENTICATING
Bus n/a: changing state AUTHENTICATING → RUNNING
Sent message type=method_call sender=n/a destination=org.freedesktop.systemd1 path=/org/freedesktop/systemd1 interface=org.freedesktop.systemd1.Manager member=Reload cookie=1 reply_cookie=0 signature=n/a error-name=n/a error-message=n/a
Got message type=method_return sender=org.freedesktop.systemd1 destination=n/a path=n/a interface=n/a member=n/a  cookie=323 reply_cookie=1 signature=n/a error-name=n/a error-message=n/a
Bus n/a: changing state RUNNING → CLOSED

For systemctl --user enable podmandemo.service:

Cannot stat /proc/1/root: Permiso denegado
running_in_chroot(): Permiso denegado
Bus n/a: changing state UNSET → OPENING
sd-bus: starting bus by connecting to /run/user/1091/systemd/private...
Bus n/a: changing state OPENING → AUTHENTICATING
Executing dbus call org.freedesktop.systemd1.Manager StartUnit(podmandemo.service, replace)
Bus n/a: changing state AUTHENTICATING → RUNNING
Sent message type=method_call sender=n/a destination=org.freedesktop.systemd1 path=/org/freedesktop/systemd1 interface=org.freedesktop.systemd1.Manager member=StartUnit cookie=1 reply_cookie=0 signature=ss error-name=n/a error-message=n/a
Got message type=error sender=org.freedesktop.systemd1 destination=n/a path=n/a interface=n/a member=n/a  cookie=1 reply_cookie=1 signature=s error-name=org.freedesktop.systemd1.NoSuchUnit error-message=Unit podmandemo.service not found.

[yuwata]

Please provide the result of cat ~/.config/systemd/user/podmandemo.service.

[poettering]

also do "systemd-analyze --user log-level debug", and then reproduce the issue and provide logs around the issue from journalctl here, otherwise this is not actionable to us.