Provided by: systemd_255.4-1ubuntu8.5_amd64 
NAME
systemd-run - Run programs in transient scope units, service units, or path-, socket-, or timer-triggered
service units
SYNOPSIS
systemd-run [OPTIONS...] COMMAND [ARGS...]
systemd-run [OPTIONS...] [PATH OPTIONS...] {COMMAND} [ARGS...]
systemd-run [OPTIONS...] [SOCKET OPTIONS...] {COMMAND} [ARGS...]
systemd-run [OPTIONS...] [TIMER OPTIONS...] {COMMAND} [ARGS...]
DESCRIPTION
systemd-run may be used to create and start a transient .service or .scope unit and run the specified
COMMAND in it. It may also be used to create and start a transient .path, .socket, or .timer unit, that
activates a .service unit when elapsing.
If a command is run as transient service unit, it will be started and managed by the service manager like
any other service, and thus shows up in the output of systemctl list-units like any other unit. It will
run in a clean and detached execution environment, with the service manager as its parent process. In
this mode, systemd-run will start the service asynchronously in the background and return after the
command has begun execution (unless --no-block or --wait are specified, see below).
If a command is run as transient scope unit, it will be executed by systemd-run itself as parent process
and will thus inherit the execution environment of the caller. However, the processes of the command are
managed by the service manager similarly to normal services, and will show up in the output of systemctl
list-units. Execution in this case is synchronous, and will return only when the command finishes. This
mode is enabled via the --scope switch (see below).
If a command is run with path, socket, or timer options such as --on-calendar= (see below), a transient
path, socket, or timer unit is created alongside the service unit for the specified command. Only the
transient path, socket, or timer unit is started immediately, the transient service unit will be
triggered by the path, socket, or timer unit. If the --unit= option is specified, the COMMAND may be
omitted. In this case, systemd-run creates only a .path, .socket, or .timer unit that triggers the
specified unit.
By default, services created with systemd-run default to the simple type, see the description of Type= in
systemd.service(5) for details. Note that when this type is used, the service manager (and thus the
systemd-run command) considers service start-up successful as soon as the fork() for the main service
process succeeded, i.e. before the execve() is invoked, and thus even if the specified command cannot be
started. Consider using the exec service type (i.e. --property=Type=exec) to ensure that systemd-run
returns successfully only if the specified command line has been successfully started.
After systemd-run passes the command to the service manager, the manager performs variable expansion.
This means that dollar characters ("$") which should not be expanded need to be escaped as "$$".
Expansion can also be disabled using --expand-environment=no.
OPTIONS
The following options are understood:
--no-ask-password
Do not query the user for authentication for privileged operations.
Added in version 226.
--scope
Create a transient .scope unit instead of the default transient .service unit (see above).
Added in version 206.
--unit=, -u
Use this unit name instead of an automatically generated one.
Added in version 206.
--property=, -p
Sets a property on the scope or service unit that is created. This option takes an assignment in the
same format as systemctl(1)'s set-property command.
Added in version 211.
--description=
Provide a description for the service, scope, path, socket, or timer unit. If not specified, the
command itself will be used as a description. See Description= in systemd.unit(5).
Added in version 206.
--slice=
Make the new .service or .scope unit part of the specified slice, instead of system.slice (when
running in --system mode) or the root slice (when running in --user mode).
Added in version 206.
--slice-inherit
Make the new .service or .scope unit part of the inherited slice. This option can be combined with
--slice=.
An inherited slice is located within systemd-run slice. Example: if systemd-run slice is foo.slice,
and the --slice= argument is bar, the unit will be placed under the foo-bar.slice.
Added in version 246.
--expand-environment=BOOL
Expand environment variables in command arguments. If enabled, environment variables specified as
"${VARIABLE}" will be expanded in the same way as in commands specified via ExecStart= in units. With
--scope, this expansion is performed by systemd-run itself, and in other cases by the service manager
that spawns the command. Note that this is similar to, but not the same as variable expansion in
bash(1) and other shells.
The default is to enable this option in all cases, except for --scope where it is disabled by
default, for backward compatibility reasons. Note that this will be changed in a future release,
where it will be switched to enabled by default as well.
See systemd.service(5) for a description of variable expansion. Disabling variable expansion is
useful if the specified command includes or may include a "$" sign.
Added in version 254.
-r, --remain-after-exit
After the service process has terminated, keep the service around until it is explicitly stopped.
This is useful to collect runtime information about the service after it finished running. Also see
RemainAfterExit= in systemd.service(5).
Added in version 207.
--send-sighup
When terminating the scope or service unit, send a SIGHUP immediately after SIGTERM. This is useful
to indicate to shells and shell-like processes that the connection has been severed. Also see
SendSIGHUP= in systemd.kill(5).
Added in version 207.
--service-type=
Sets the service type. Also see Type= in systemd.service(5). This option has no effect in conjunction
with --scope. Defaults to simple.
Added in version 211.
--uid=, --gid=
Runs the service process under the specified UNIX user and group. Also see User= and Group= in
systemd.exec(5).
Added in version 211.
--nice=
Runs the service process with the specified nice level. Also see Nice= in systemd.exec(5).
Added in version 211.
--working-directory=
Runs the service process with the specified working directory. Also see WorkingDirectory= in
systemd.exec(5).
Added in version 240.
--same-dir, -d
Similar to --working-directory=, but uses the current working directory of the caller for the service
to execute.
Added in version 240.
-E NAME[=VALUE], --setenv=NAME[=VALUE]
Runs the service process with the specified environment variable set. This parameter may be used more
than once to set multiple variables. When "=" and VALUE are omitted, the value of the variable with
the same name in the program environment will be used.
Also see Environment= in systemd.exec(5).
Added in version 211.
--pty, -t
When invoking the command, the transient service connects its standard input, output and error to the
terminal systemd-run is invoked on, via a pseudo TTY device. This allows running programs that expect
interactive user input/output as services, such as interactive command shells.
Note that machinectl(1)'s shell command is usually a better alternative for requesting a new,
interactive login session on the local host or a local container.
See below for details on how this switch combines with --pipe.
Added in version 219.
--pipe, -P
If specified, standard input, output, and error of the transient service are inherited from the
systemd-run command itself. This allows systemd-run to be used within shell pipelines. Note that this
mode is not suitable for interactive command shells and similar, as the service process will not
become a TTY controller when invoked on a terminal. Use --pty instead in that case.
When both --pipe and --pty are used in combination the more appropriate option is automatically
determined and used. Specifically, when invoked with standard input, output and error connected to a
TTY --pty is used, and otherwise --pipe.
When this option is used the original file descriptors systemd-run receives are passed to the service
processes as-is. If the service runs with different privileges than systemd-run, this means the
service might not be able to re-open the passed file descriptors, due to normal file descriptor
access restrictions. If the invoked process is a shell script that uses the echo "hello" >/dev/stderr
construct for writing messages to stderr, this might cause problems, as this only works if stderr can
be re-opened. To mitigate this use the construct echo "hello" >&2 instead, which is mostly equivalent
and avoids this pitfall.
Added in version 235.
--shell, -S
A shortcut for "--pty --same-dir --wait --collect --service-type=exec $SHELL", i.e. requests an
interactive shell in the current working directory, running in service context, accessible with a
single switch.
Added in version 240.
--quiet, -q
Suppresses additional informational output while running. This is particularly useful in combination
with --pty when it will suppress the initial message explaining how to terminate the TTY connection.
Added in version 219.
--on-active=, --on-boot=, --on-startup=, --on-unit-active=, --on-unit-inactive=
Defines a monotonic timer relative to different starting points for starting the specified command.
See OnActiveSec=, OnBootSec=, OnStartupSec=, OnUnitActiveSec= and OnUnitInactiveSec= in
systemd.timer(5) for details. These options are shortcuts for --timer-property= with the relevant
properties. These options may not be combined with --scope or --pty.
Added in version 218.
--on-calendar=
Defines a calendar timer for starting the specified command. See OnCalendar= in systemd.timer(5).
This option is a shortcut for --timer-property=OnCalendar=. This option may not be combined with
--scope or --pty.
Added in version 218.
--on-clock-change, --on-timezone-change
Defines a trigger based on system clock jumps or timezone changes for starting the specified command.
See OnClockChange= and OnTimezoneChange= in systemd.timer(5). These options are shortcuts for
--timer-property=OnClockChange=yes and --timer-property=OnTimezoneChange=yes. These options may not
be combined with --scope or --pty.
Added in version 242.
--path-property=, --socket-property=, --timer-property=
Sets a property on the path, socket, or timer unit that is created. This option is similar to
--property=, but applies to the transient path, socket, or timer unit rather than the transient
service unit created. This option takes an assignment in the same format as systemctl(1)'s
set-property command. These options may not be combined with --scope or --pty.
Added in version 218.
--no-block
Do not synchronously wait for the unit start operation to finish. If this option is not specified,
the start request for the transient unit will be verified, enqueued and systemd-run will wait until
the unit's start-up is completed. By passing this argument, it is only verified and enqueued. This
option may not be combined with --wait.
Added in version 220.
--wait
Synchronously wait for the transient service to terminate. If this option is specified, the start
request for the transient unit is verified, enqueued, and waited for. Subsequently the invoked unit
is monitored, and it is waited until it is deactivated again (most likely because the specified
command completed). On exit, terse information about the unit's runtime is shown, including total
runtime (as well as CPU usage, if --property=CPUAccounting=1 was set) and the exit code and status of
the main process. This output may be suppressed with --quiet. This option may not be combined with
--no-block, --scope or the various path, socket, or timer options.
Added in version 232.
-G, --collect
Unload the transient unit after it completed, even if it failed. Normally, without this option, all
units that ran and failed are kept in memory until the user explicitly resets their failure state
with systemctl reset-failed or an equivalent command. On the other hand, units that ran successfully
are unloaded immediately. If this option is turned on the "garbage collection" of units is more
aggressive, and unloads units regardless if they exited successfully or failed. This option is a
shortcut for --property=CollectMode=inactive-or-failed, see the explanation for CollectMode= in
systemd.unit(5) for further information.
Added in version 236.
--user
Talk to the service manager of the calling user, rather than the service manager of the system.
--system
Talk to the service manager of the system. This is the implied default.
-H, --host=
Execute the operation remotely. Specify a hostname, or a username and hostname separated by "@", to
connect to. The hostname may optionally be suffixed by a port ssh is listening on, separated by ":",
and then a container name, separated by "/", which connects directly to a specific container on the
specified host. This will use SSH to talk to the remote machine manager instance. Container names may
be enumerated with machinectl -H HOST. Put IPv6 addresses in brackets.
-M, --machine=
Execute operation on a local container. Specify a container name to connect to, optionally prefixed
by a user name to connect as and a separating "@" character. If the special string ".host" is used in
place of the container name, a connection to the local system is made (which is useful to connect to
a specific user's user bus: "--user --machine=lennart@.host"). If the "@" syntax is not used, the
connection is made as root user. If the "@" syntax is used either the left hand side or the right
hand side may be omitted (but not both) in which case the local user name and ".host" are implied.
-h, --help
Print a short help text and exit.
--version
Print a short version string and exit.
All command line arguments after the first non-option argument become part of the command line of the
launched process.
EXIT STATUS
On success, 0 is returned. If systemd-run failed to start the service, a non-zero return value will be
returned. If systemd-run waits for the service to terminate, the return value will be propagated from the
service. 0 will be returned on success, including all the cases where systemd considers a service to have
exited cleanly, see the discussion of SuccessExitStatus= in systemd.service(5).
EXAMPLES
Example 1. Logging environment variables provided by systemd to services
# systemd-run env
Running as unit: run-19945.service
# journalctl -u run-19945.service
Sep 08 07:37:21 bupkis systemd[1]: Starting /usr/bin/env...
Sep 08 07:37:21 bupkis systemd[1]: Started /usr/bin/env.
Sep 08 07:37:21 bupkis env[19948]: PATH=/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin
Sep 08 07:37:21 bupkis env[19948]: LANG=en_US.UTF-8
Sep 08 07:37:21 bupkis env[19948]: BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz-3.11.0-0.rc5.git6.2.fc20.x86_64
Example 2. Limiting resources available to a command
# systemd-run -p IOWeight=10 updatedb
This command invokes the updatedb(8) tool, but lowers the block I/O weight for it to 10. See
systemd.resource-control(5) for more information on the IOWeight= property.
Example 3. Running commands at a specified time
The following command will touch a file after 30 seconds.
# date; systemd-run --on-active=30 --timer-property=AccuracySec=100ms /bin/touch /tmp/foo
Mon Dec 8 20:44:24 KST 2014
Running as unit: run-71.timer
Will run service as unit: run-71.service
# journalctl -b -u run-71.timer
-- Journal begins at Fri 2014-12-05 19:09:21 KST, ends at Mon 2014-12-08 20:44:54 KST. --
Dec 08 20:44:38 container systemd[1]: Starting /bin/touch /tmp/foo.
Dec 08 20:44:38 container systemd[1]: Started /bin/touch /tmp/foo.
# journalctl -b -u run-71.service
-- Journal begins at Fri 2014-12-05 19:09:21 KST, ends at Mon 2014-12-08 20:44:54 KST. --
Dec 08 20:44:48 container systemd[1]: Starting /bin/touch /tmp/foo...
Dec 08 20:44:48 container systemd[1]: Started /bin/touch /tmp/foo.
Example 4. Allowing access to the tty
The following command invokes bash(1) as a service passing its standard input, output and error to the
calling TTY.
# systemd-run -t --send-sighup bash
Example 5. Start screen as a user service
$ systemd-run --scope --user screen
Running scope as unit run-r14b0047ab6df45bfb45e7786cc839e76.scope.
$ screen -ls
There is a screen on:
492..laptop (Detached)
1 Socket in /var/run/screen/S-fatima.
This starts the screen process as a child of the systemd --user process that was started by
user@.service, in a scope unit. A systemd.scope(5) unit is used instead of a systemd.service(5) unit,
because screen will exit when detaching from the terminal, and a service unit would be terminated.
Running screen as a user unit has the advantage that it is not part of the session scope. If
KillUserProcesses=yes is configured in logind.conf(5), the default, the session scope will be terminated
when the user logs out of that session.
The user@.service is started automatically when the user first logs in, and stays around as long as at
least one login session is open. After the user logs out of the last session, user@.service and all
services underneath it are terminated. This behavior is the default, when "lingering" is not enabled for
that user. Enabling lingering means that user@.service is started automatically during boot, even if the
user is not logged in, and that the service is not terminated when the user logs out.
Enabling lingering allows the user to run processes without being logged in, for example to allow screen
to persist after the user logs out, even if the session scope is terminated. In the default
configuration, users can enable lingering for themselves:
$ loginctl enable-linger
Example 6. Variable expansion by the manager
$ systemd-run -t echo "<${INVOCATION_ID}>" '<${INVOCATION_ID}>'
<> <5d0149bfa2c34b79bccb13074001eb20>
The first argument is expanded by the shell (double quotes), but the second one is not expanded by the
shell (single quotes). echo(1) is called with ["/usr/bin/echo", "<>", "<${INVOCATION_ID}>"] as the
argument array, and then systemd(1) generates ${INVOCATION_ID} and substitutes it in the command-line.
This substitution could not be done on the client side, because the target ID that will be set for the
service isn't known before the call is made.
Example 7. Variable expansion and output redirection using a shell
Variable expansion by systemd(1) can be disabled with --expand-environment=no.
Disabling variable expansion can be useful if the command to execute contains dollar characters and
escaping them would be inconvenient. For example, when a shell is used:
$ systemd-run --expand-environment=no -t bash \
-c 'echo $SHELL $$ >/dev/stdout'
/bin/bash 12345
The last argument is passed verbatim to the bash(1) shell which is started by the service unit. The shell
expands "$SHELL" to the path of the shell, and "$$" to its process number, and then those strings are
passed to the echo built-in and printed to standard output (which in this case is connected to the
calling terminal).
Example 8. Return value
$ systemd-run --user --wait true
$ systemd-run --user --wait -p SuccessExitStatus=11 bash -c 'exit 11'
$ systemd-run --user --wait -p SuccessExitStatus=SIGUSR1 --expand-environment=no \
bash -c 'kill -SIGUSR1 $$'
Those three invocations will succeed, i.e. terminate with an exit code of 0.
SEE ALSO
systemd(1), systemctl(1), systemd.unit(5), systemd.service(5), systemd.scope(5), systemd.slice(5),
systemd.exec(5), systemd.resource-control(5), systemd.timer(5), systemd-mount(1), machinectl(1)