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    <body><table border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="8">
        <tr>
          <th>Bug ID</th>
          <td><a class="bz_bug_link 
          bz_status_NEW "
   title="NEW - RFE: systemctl "dry run"/"preflight" mode"
   href="https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=89429">89429</a>
          </td>
        </tr>

        <tr>
          <th>Summary</th>
          <td>RFE: systemctl "dry run"/"preflight" mode
          </td>
        </tr>

        <tr>
          <th>Product</th>
          <td>systemd
          </td>
        </tr>

        <tr>
          <th>Version</th>
          <td>unspecified
          </td>
        </tr>

        <tr>
          <th>Hardware</th>
          <td>All
          </td>
        </tr>

        <tr>
          <th>OS</th>
          <td>Linux (All)
          </td>
        </tr>

        <tr>
          <th>Status</th>
          <td>NEW
          </td>
        </tr>

        <tr>
          <th>Severity</th>
          <td>enhancement
          </td>
        </tr>

        <tr>
          <th>Priority</th>
          <td>medium
          </td>
        </tr>

        <tr>
          <th>Component</th>
          <td>general
          </td>
        </tr>

        <tr>
          <th>Assignee</th>
          <td>systemd-bugs@lists.freedesktop.org
          </td>
        </tr>

        <tr>
          <th>Reporter</th>
          <td>kanepyork@gmail.com
          </td>
        </tr>

        <tr>
          <th>QA Contact</th>
          <td>systemd-bugs@lists.freedesktop.org
          </td>
        </tr></table>
      <p>
        <div>
        <pre>I want a mode for systemctl to "dry run" or "preflight" a
start/stop/isolate/etc operation.

This would be useful for debugging unit files ("what does it actually try to do
when I start this?") or isolate commands to custom targets.
It would also enable some other niceties, such as not needing to ask for
authentication to do nothing.


As an example, here's a sample shell session I would want to have on my dev
system:

    $ systemctl start -n postgresql
    To start: postgresql.service <a href="mailto:postgresql@9.4-main.service">postgresql@9.4-main.service</a>
    Already started: basic.target
    $ systemctl start -n basic.target
    Nothing to do.
    $ systemctl start -P postgresql

(Auth, it starts...)

    $ systemctl start -n postgresql
    Nothing to do.
    $ systemctl start -P postgresql

(No PolicyKit dialog shows up, as the preflight check returns with 'nothing to
do', so no need to auth!)

I'm aware that the -n option is already taken, but it doesn't apply to the
(sub)commands that would be affected by this.</pre>
        </div>
      </p>
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