[systemd-devel] systemd v257.5: Issue with systemd-sysupdate, no targets and components listed

Simao Gomes Viana | Toowoxx IT GmbH Simao.Gomes at toowoxx.de
Tue Jul 1 08:04:35 UTC 2025 

It turns out, the solution is simple:

systemd-sysupdated expects the transfer files to be in /usr/lib/sysupdate.d while systemd-sysupdate expects them in /etc/sysupdate.d

At least that is the case on NixOS. I don't know about other distributions.

I didn't find this crucial piece of information anywhere – not sure if that's due to me simply failing to find it or if it's actually missing.

I copied the files to /usr/lib/sysupdate.d and that just worked, now I get the proper response:

([('host', 'host', objectpath '/org/freedesktop/sysupdate1/target/host')],)
________________________________
From: systemd-devel <systemd-devel-bounces at lists.freedesktop.org> on behalf of Simao Gomes Viana | Toowoxx IT GmbH <Simao.Gomes at toowoxx.de>
Sent: Monday, June 30, 2025 15:15
To: systemd-devel at lists.freedesktop.org <systemd-devel at lists.freedesktop.org>
Subject: [systemd-devel] systemd v257.5: Issue with systemd-sysupdate, no targets and components listed

Hi,

I have been struggling with an issue regarding systemd-sysupdate and the D-Bus interface and I can't seem to find a way to make it work. My ultimate goal is to use the D-Bus interface to get info about available updates and start the update. This is because the user will be able to start the update from a GUI. I'd be really grateful if someone knows what can be done to fix the issue.

I have two transfers for systemd-sysupdate, one for UKI and one for an image file.
If I run systemd-sysupdate list, I get the following output:

# systemd-sysupdate list
As of v257, transfer definitions should have the '.transfer' extension.
Discovering installed instances…
Discovering available instances…
Determining installed update sets…
Determining available update sets…
  VERSION INSTALLED AVAILABLE ASSESSMENT
↻ 30                    ✓     candidate
● 29          ✓         ✓     current

I am able to install this update just fine and rebooting the system causes the new slot to be booted.
So all that works as expected.

Where this starts to fall apart is when I try to use the org.freedesktop.sysupdate1 D-Bus interface via systemd-sysupdated.service.
The service runs just fine, and I can use gdbus introspection. Here's an example:

# gdbus introspect --system --dest org.freedesktop.sysupdate1 --object-path /org/freedesktop/sysupdate1
node /org/freedesktop/sysupdate1 {
  interface org.freedesktop.DBus.Peer {
    methods:
      Ping();
      GetMachineId(out s machine_uuid);
    signals:
    properties:
  };
  interface org.freedesktop.DBus.Introspectable {
    methods:
      Introspect(out s xml_data);
    signals:
    properties:
  };
  interface org.freedesktop.DBus.Properties {
    methods:
      Get(in  s interface_name,
          in  s property_name,
          out v value);
      GetAll(in  s interface_name,
             out a{sv} props);
      Set(in  s interface_name,
          in  s property_name,
          in  v value);
    signals:
      PropertiesChanged(s interface_name,
                        a{sv} changed_properties,
                        as invalidated_properties);
    properties:
  };
  interface org.freedesktop.sysupdate1.Manager {
    methods:
      ListTargets(out a(sso) targets);
      ListJobs(out a(tsuo) jobs);
      ListAppStream(out as urls);
    signals:
      JobRemoved(t id,
                 o path,
                 i status);
    properties:
  };
  node target {
  };
  node job {
  };
};

Calling ListTargets yields an empty array. I also tried doing this from Kotlin using a dbus library but it also just returns an empty array.

# gdbus call --system \
  --dest org.freedesktop.sysupdate1 \
  --object-path /org/freedesktop/sysupdate1 \
  --method org.freedesktop.sysupdate1.Manager.ListTargets
(@a(sso) [],)

I have also tried renaming the configs to use the .transfer extension but that has not changed anything, even after a service restart.

I added some logging to help with debugging:

(supdated)[1388]: systemd-sysupdated.service: Executing: /nix/store/i844w5h24i11ccknvzzl6xc9805p0w68-systemd-sysupdated-257.5/lib/systemd/systemd-sysupdated
systemd-sysupdated[1388]: Found container virtualization none.
systemd[1]: systemd-sysupdated.service: Got notification message from PID 1388: WATCHDOG=1
systemd-sysupdated[1388]: Bus n/a: changing state UNSET → OPENING
systemd-sysupdated[1388]: sd-bus: starting bus by connecting to /run/dbus/system_bus_socket...
systemd-sysupdated[1388]: Bus n/a: changing state OPENING → AUTHENTICATING
systemd-sysupdated[1388]: Registering bus object implementation for path=/org/freedesktop/sysupdate1 iface=org.freedesktop.sysupdate1.Manager
systemd-sysupdated[1388]: Registering bus object implementation for path=/org/freedesktop/sysupdate1/job iface=org.freedesktop.sysupdate1.Job
systemd-sysupdated[1388]: Registering bus object implementation for path=/org/freedesktop/sysupdate1/target iface=org.freedesktop.sysupdate1.Target
systemd-sysupdated[1388]: Registering bus object implementation for path=/org/freedesktop/LogControl1 iface=org.freedesktop.LogControl1
systemd-sysupdated[1388]: Bus n/a: changing state AUTHENTICATING → HELLO
systemd-sysupdated[1388]: Sent message type=method_call sender=n/a destination=org.freedesktop.DBus path=/org/freedesktop/DBus interface=org.freedesktop.DBus member=Hello cookie=1 reply_cookie=0 signature=n/a error-name=n/a error-message=n/a
systemd-sysupdated[1388]: Sent message type=method_call sender=n/a destination=org.freedesktop.DBus path=/org/freedesktop/DBus interface=org.freedesktop.DBus member=RequestName cookie=2 reply_cookie=0 signature=su error-name=n/a error-message=n/a
systemd-sysupdated[1388]: Got message type=method_return sender=org.freedesktop.DBus destination=:1.32 path=n/a interface=n/a member=n/a  cookie=1 reply_cookie=1 signature=s error-name=n/a error-message=n/a
systemd-sysupdated[1388]: Bus n/a: changing state HELLO → RUNNING
systemd-sysupdated[1388]: Got message type=signal sender=org.freedesktop.DBus destination=:1.32 path=/org/freedesktop/DBus interface=org.freedesktop.DBus member=NameAcquired  cookie=2 reply_cookie=0 signature=s error-name=n/a error-message=n/a
systemd-sysupdated[1388]: Got message type=signal sender=org.freedesktop.DBus destination=:1.32 path=/org/freedesktop/DBus interface=org.freedesktop.DBus member=NameAcquired  cookie=3 reply_cookie=0 signature=s error-name=n/a error-message=n/a
systemd-sysupdated[1388]: Got message type=method_call sender=:1.31 destination=org.freedesktop.sysupdate1 path=/org/freedesktop/sysupdate1/target interface=org.freedesktop.DBus.Introspectable member=Introspect  cookie=2 reply_cookie=0 signature=n/a error-name=n/a error-message=n/a
systemd-sysupdated[1388]: manager_ensure_targets
systemd-sysupdated[1388]: manager_enumerate_targets
systemd-sysupdated[1388]: for each discoverable_classes
systemd-sysupdated[1388]: manager_enumerate_image_class
systemd[1]: systemd-sysupdated.service: D-Bus name org.freedesktop.sysupdate1 now owned by :1.32
systemd[1]: systemd-sysupdated.service: Changed start -> running
systemd[1]: systemd-sysupdated.service: Job 1514 systemd-sysupdated.service/start finished, result=done
systemd[1]: Started systemd-sysupdated.service.
systemd-sysupdated[1388]: image_discover done, got images
systemd-sysupdated[1388]: image name .host, image path /
systemd-sysupdated[1388]: for each discoverable_classes
systemd-sysupdated[1388]: manager_enumerate_image_class
systemd-sysupdated[1388]: image_discover done, got images
systemd-sysupdated[1388]: for each discoverable_classes
systemd-sysupdated[1388]: manager_enumerate_image_class
systemd-sysupdated[1388]: image_discover done, got images
systemd-sysupdated[1388]: for each discoverable_classes
systemd-sysupdated[1388]: manager_enumerate_image_class
systemd-sysupdated[1388]: image_discover done, got images
systemd-sysupdated[1388]: manager_enumerate_components
systemd-sysupdated[1388]: Successfully forked off '(sd-sysupdate)' as PID 1389.
(sd-sysupdate)[1389]: Skipping PR_SET_MM, as we don't have privileges.
(sd-sysupdate)[1389]: Spawning sysupdate: systemd-sysupdate --json=short components

Here are my transfer definitions:
10-uki.conf
[Source]
MatchPattern=zivios_ at v.efi.xz zivios_ at v.efi.gz zivios_ at v.efi
Path=/var/updates/
Type=regular-file

[Target]
InstancesMax=2
MatchPattern=zivios_ at v.efi
Mode=0444
Path=/EFI/Linux
PathRelativeTo=esp
Type=regular-file

[Transfer]
ProtectVersion=%A

20-store.conf
[Source]
MatchPattern=store_ at v.img.xz store_ at v.img.gz store_ at v.img
Path=/var/updates/
Type=regular-file

[Target]
InstancesMax=2
MatchPattern=store_ at v
Path=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-QEMU_HARDDISK_QM00001
ReadOnly=yes
Type=partition

[Transfer]
ProtectVersion=%A

Some more context:
# systemd-sysupdate components --json=short
{"default":false,"components":[]}

# systemctl --version
systemd 257 (257.5)
+PAM +AUDIT -SELINUX +APPARMOR +IMA +IPE +SMACK +SECCOMP +GCRYPT -GNUTLS +OPENSSL +ACL +BLKID +CURL +ELFUTILS +FIDO2 +IDN2 -IDN +IPTC +KMOD +LIBCRYPTSETUP +LIBCRYPTSETUP_PLUGINS +LIBFDISK +PCRE2 +PWQUALITY +P11KIT +QRENCODE +TPM2 +BZIP2 +LZ4 +XZ +ZLIB +ZSTD +BPF_FRAMEWORK -BTF -XKBCOMMON +UTMP -SYSVINIT +LIBARCHIVE
# uname -a
Linux zivios 6.15.3 #1-NixOS SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Thu Jun 19 13:41:08 UTC 2025 x86_64 GNU/Linux

I'm using NixOS 25.05 and I'm building an immutable, A/B-updatable, secure boot enabled system. Systemd-sysupdate is used for updating the system from the store image and UKI.

This is how I integrated systemd-sysupdated since NixOS does not have it included in nixpkgs, so I had to build a separate package with sysupdated enabled:
https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/issues/420485#issuecomment-3013608309

Best,
Simao

Mit freundlichen Grüßen /
best regards,   [cid:logo-min_9a509263-93aa-4c90-952e-cf3ad1644cc3.png] <https://www.toowoxx.de/> <https://www.toowoxx.de/> <https://www.toowoxx.de/>


Simao Gomes Viana | Toowoxx IT GmbH     Toowoxx IT GmbH
Senior Developer        Krumbacher Straße 1

        DE-86489 Deisenhausen




E: simao.gomes at toowoxx.de<mailto:simao.gomes at toowoxx.de>
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Mit freundlichen Grüßen /
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Simao Gomes Viana | Toowoxx IT GmbH     Toowoxx IT GmbH
Senior Developer        Krumbacher Straße 1

        DE-86489 Deisenhausen




E: simao.gomes at toowoxx.de<mailto:simao.gomes at toowoxx.de>
T: +49 8282 881299-22<tel:+49%208282%20881299-22>
W: toowoxx.de<https://toowoxx.de/>
Teams: Simao Gomes Viana | Toowoxx IT GmbH<https://teams.microsoft.com/l/chat/0/0?users=simao.gomes@toowoxx.de>
Standort Ulm
Münchner Straße 15
DE-89073 Ulm
FOLGE UNS:      [cid:facebook-min_80a01dfe-43c3-4373-a597-c4fa143a8352.png] <https://de-de.facebook.com/toowoxx> <https://de-de.facebook.com/toowoxx> <https://de-de.facebook.com/toowoxx>      <https://de-de.facebook.com/toowoxx> <https://twitter.com/toowoxx?lang=de> <https://twitter.com/toowoxx?lang=de> [cid:twitter-min_b2b87642-f9c4-4dbd-be0d-25e87273c9a0.png] <https://twitter.com/toowoxx?lang=de>
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Firmensitz:               Toowoxx IT GmbH, Krumbacher Straße 1, 86489 Deisenhausen
Geschäftsführer:       Christian Thoma, Oliver Wiemer, Jürgen Mayer
Handelsregister:       Amtsgericht Memmingen HRB 13224
Umsatzsteuer ID:      DE258706918
<https://www.toowoxx.de/services/tisax-fix/><https://www.toowoxx.de/services/tisax-fix/><https://www.bildungsmesse-ulm.de>


<https://www.toowoxx.de/richtig-digitalisieren/><https://www.toowoxx.de/passkeys/>

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