[systemd-devel] Antw: [EXT] Re: Q: ypbind-systemd-pre[1756]: \nError: NIS domain not specified.\n

[Andrei Borzenkov]

On Thu, Jun 4, 2020 at 9:05 AM Ulrich Windl
<Ulrich.Windl at rz.uni-regensburg.de> wrote:
>
> But if so, why would it be started if that service is disabled?

Because "disabled" in systemd just means that links in the [Install]
section have not been created. It does not mean "this unit won't be
started under any circumstances".

...

> So some script may have started the service manually. I wonder: How
> complicated and efficient would it be if "systemctl status" would output the
> reason (e.g.: "manual|dependency") for the last service start (or maybe even
> stop)?
>

Enabled unit is started by dependency as well. There is no difference.
"enabled" means exactly "add dependency to another unit"; it is not
distinguishable from "other unit has dependency on this unit".

There is systemctl list-dependencies which may help.