nixpkgs/nixos/doc/manual/from_md/administration/service-mgmt.chapter.xml

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<chapter xmlns="http://docbook.org/ns/docbook" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xml:id="sec-systemctl">
<title>Service Management</title>
<para>
In NixOS, all system services are started and monitored using the
systemd program. systemd is the <quote>init</quote> process of the
system (i.e. PID 1), the parent of all other processes. It manages a
set of so-called <quote>units</quote>, which can be things like
system services (programs), but also mount points, swap files,
devices, targets (groups of units) and more. Units can have complex
dependencies; for instance, one unit can require that another unit
must be successfully started before the first unit can be started.
When the system boots, it starts a unit named
<literal>default.target</literal>; the dependencies of this unit
cause all system services to be started, file systems to be mounted,
swap files to be activated, and so on.
</para>
<section xml:id="sect-nixos-systemd-general">
<title>Interacting with a running systemd</title>
<para>
The command <literal>systemctl</literal> is the main way to
interact with <literal>systemd</literal>. The following paragraphs
demonstrate ways to interact with any OS running systemd as init
system. NixOS is of no exception. The
<link linkend="sect-nixos-systemd-nixos">next section </link>
explains NixOS specific things worth knowing.
</para>
<para>
Without any arguments, <literal>systemctl</literal> the status of
active units:
</para>
<programlisting>
$ systemctl
-.mount loaded active mounted /
swapfile.swap loaded active active /swapfile
sshd.service loaded active running SSH Daemon
graphical.target loaded active active Graphical Interface
...
</programlisting>
<para>
You can ask for detailed status information about a unit, for
instance, the PostgreSQL database service:
</para>
<programlisting>
$ systemctl status postgresql.service
postgresql.service - PostgreSQL Server
Loaded: loaded (/nix/store/pn3q73mvh75gsrl8w7fdlfk3fq5qm5mw-unit/postgresql.service)
Active: active (running) since Mon, 2013-01-07 15:55:57 CET; 9h ago
Main PID: 2390 (postgres)
CGroup: name=systemd:/system/postgresql.service
├─2390 postgres
├─2418 postgres: writer process
├─2419 postgres: wal writer process
├─2420 postgres: autovacuum launcher process
├─2421 postgres: stats collector process
└─2498 postgres: zabbix zabbix [local] idle
Jan 07 15:55:55 hagbard postgres[2394]: [1-1] LOG: database system was shut down at 2013-01-07 15:55:05 CET
Jan 07 15:55:57 hagbard postgres[2390]: [1-1] LOG: database system is ready to accept connections
Jan 07 15:55:57 hagbard postgres[2420]: [1-1] LOG: autovacuum launcher started
Jan 07 15:55:57 hagbard systemd[1]: Started PostgreSQL Server.
</programlisting>
<para>
Note that this shows the status of the unit (active and running),
all the processes belonging to the service, as well as the most
recent log messages from the service.
</para>
<para>
Units can be stopped, started or restarted:
</para>
<programlisting>
# systemctl stop postgresql.service
# systemctl start postgresql.service
# systemctl restart postgresql.service
</programlisting>
<para>
These operations are synchronous: they wait until the service has
finished starting or stopping (or has failed). Starting a unit
will cause the dependencies of that unit to be started as well (if
necessary).
</para>
</section>
<section xml:id="sect-nixos-systemd-nixos">
<title>systemd in NixOS</title>
<para>
Packages in Nixpkgs sometimes provide systemd units with them,
usually in e.g <literal>#pkg-out#/lib/systemd/</literal>. Putting
such a package in <literal>environment.systemPackages</literal>
doesn't make the service available to users or the system.
</para>
<para>
In order to enable a systemd <emphasis>system</emphasis> service
with provided upstream package, use (e.g):
</para>
<programlisting language="bash">
systemd.packages = [ pkgs.packagekit ];
</programlisting>
<para>
Usually NixOS modules written by the community do the above, plus
take care of other details. If a module was written for a service
you are interested in, you'd probably need only to use
<literal>services.#name#.enable = true;</literal>. These services
are defined in Nixpkgs'
<link xlink:href="https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/tree/master/nixos/modules">
<literal>nixos/modules/</literal> directory </link>. In case the
service is simple enough, the above method should work, and start
the service on boot.
</para>
<para>
<emphasis>User</emphasis> systemd services on the other hand,
should be treated differently. Given a package that has a systemd
unit file at <literal>#pkg-out#/lib/systemd/user/</literal>, using
<xref linkend="opt-systemd.packages" /> will make you able to
start the service via <literal>systemctl --user start</literal>,
but it won't start automatically on login. However, You can
imperatively enable it by adding the package's attribute to
<xref linkend="opt-systemd.packages" /> and then do this (e.g):
</para>
<programlisting>
$ mkdir -p ~/.config/systemd/user/default.target.wants
$ ln -s /run/current-system/sw/lib/systemd/user/syncthing.service ~/.config/systemd/user/default.target.wants/
$ systemctl --user daemon-reload
$ systemctl --user enable syncthing.service
</programlisting>
<para>
If you are interested in a timer file, use
<literal>timers.target.wants</literal> instead of
<literal>default.target.wants</literal> in the 1st and 2nd
command.
</para>
<para>
Using <literal>systemctl --user enable syncthing.service</literal>
instead of the above, will work, but it'll use the absolute path
of <literal>syncthing.service</literal> for the symlink, and this
path is in <literal>/nix/store/.../lib/systemd/user/</literal>.
Hence <link linkend="sec-nix-gc">garbage collection</link> will
remove that file and you will wind up with a broken symlink in
your systemd configuration, which in turn will not make the
service / timer start on login.
</para>
</section>
</chapter>