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systemd

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description systemd Overview

systemd is the modern initialization system used by most major Linux distributions. Its service unit files (.service) provide powerful, built-in mechanisms for auto-restarting services after a crash or system reboot. It manages dependencies, logging, and resource control at the OS level, making it the default choice for system-level reliability management on contemporary Linux servers.

help systemd FAQ

How do you make a systemd service restart after a crash?

In the unit file, set `Restart=on-failure` or `Restart=always` under the `[Service]` section. Many Linux distributions use systemd as PID 1, including Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, and Arch Linux.

What is the difference between `Restart=always` and `Restart=on-failure` in systemd?

`Restart=on-failure` restarts when the service exits with an error, signal, or timeout. `Restart=always` restarts even after a clean exit, which is useful for long-running daemons that should never stop.

How do you prevent a systemd service from restarting too quickly in a loop?

Use settings like `RestartSec=5s`, `StartLimitIntervalSec`, and `StartLimitBurst`. These control the delay and rate limiting when a process repeatedly crashes.

Where do systemd service logs go?

Logs are usually available through journald with `journalctl -u service-name.service`. On many servers, that makes systemd a single place to inspect startup, crash, and restart history.

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