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Mattscreative edited this page Nov 19, 2025 · 3 revisions

⚙️ Linux systemd Advanced Guide

Complete beginner-friendly guide to advanced systemd usage on Linux, covering Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other distributions including unit files, timers, targets, and systemd customization.

📋 Table of Contents

  1. Unit Files
  2. Creating Services
  3. Timers
  4. Targets
  5. Troubleshooting

📄 Unit Files

Understanding Units

Unit types:

  • service: System services
  • timer: Scheduled tasks
  • target: System states
  • mount: Filesystem mounts
  • socket: Network sockets

Unit Locations

Unit directories:

# System units
/etc/systemd/system/

# User units
~/.config/systemd/user/

# Runtime units
/run/systemd/system/

🔧 Creating Services

Create Service

Create service file:

# Create service
sudo vim /etc/systemd/system/myservice.service

Example:

[Unit]
Description=My Service
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
ExecStart=/usr/bin/mycommand
Restart=always

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Enable Service

Enable service:

# Reload systemd
sudo systemctl daemon-reload

# Enable service
sudo systemctl enable myservice.service

# Start service
sudo systemctl start myservice.service

⏰ Timers

Create Timer

Create timer:

# Create timer
sudo vim /etc/systemd/system/mytimer.timer

Example:

[Unit]
Description=My Timer

[Timer]
OnCalendar=daily
Persistent=true

[Install]
WantedBy=timers.target

Enable Timer

Enable timer:

# Enable timer
sudo systemctl enable mytimer.timer

# Start timer
sudo systemctl start mytimer.timer

# Check status
systemctl status mytimer.timer

🎯 Targets

Understanding Targets

Common targets:

  • multi-user.target: Multi-user mode
  • graphical.target: Graphical mode
  • rescue.target: Rescue mode
  • emergency.target: Emergency mode

Switch Target

Change target:

# Change target
sudo systemctl set-default multi-user.target

# Switch to target
sudo systemctl isolate graphical.target

🔧 Troubleshooting

Service Not Starting

Check logs:

# Check service logs
journalctl -u myservice.service

# Check status
systemctl status myservice.service

Unit File Errors

Check syntax:

# Check unit file
systemd-analyze verify /etc/systemd/system/myservice.service

# Reload systemd
sudo systemctl daemon-reload

📝 Summary

This guide covered advanced systemd usage for Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other distributions, including unit files, timers, and targets.

🔗 Next Steps

This guide covers Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other Linux distributions. For distribution-specific details, refer to your distribution's documentation.

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