[systemd-devel] Generators, Targets and Stater Units - I am holding it wrong?

[Nils Kattenbeck]

Hi Marc,

it has been a while since working with generators but I think the correct
solution is to ensure that the system-presets are configured such that you
generated units are enabled by default. Debian for example has a fallback
which applies a default preset of disabled for all units unless
specifically listed as enabled-by-default

Cheers,
Nils

On Sun, Jun 22, 2025, 23:45 Marc Haber <mh+systemd-devel at zugschlus.de>
wrote:

> Hi,
>
> the following works, but I doubt that it is a nice way to do it. I have
> a generator that generates a number of service, and I want all of those
> services automatically started at boot. I have:
>
> $ sudo systemctl cat console-log-8.service
> [sudo] password for mh on hover:
> # /run/systemd/generator/console-log-8.service
> # generated by console-log.generator
>
> [Unit]
> Description=page tty8
> After=console-log.target
>
> [Service]
> ...
>
> [Install]
> WantedBy=console-log.target
> $ sudo systemctl cat console-log-9.service
> # /run/systemd/generator/console-log-9.service
> # generated by console-log.generator
>
> [Unit]
> Description=page tty9
> After=console-log.target
>
> [Service]
> ...
>
> [Install]
> WantedBy=console-log.target
> $ sudo systemctl cat console-log.target
> # /run/systemd/generator/console-log.target
> # generated by console-log.generator
>
> [Unit]
> Description=Pull in all console-log units
> After=multi-user.target
> Wants=console-log-9-var-log-syslog-syslog.service
> Wants=console-log-8-var-log-exim4-mainlog.service
>
> [Install]
> WantedBy=multi-user.target
> $ sudo systemctl cat console-log-starter.service
> # /etc/systemd/system/console-log-starter.service
> [Unit]
> Description=Start console-log.target at boot
> After=multi-user.target
>
> [Service]
> Type=oneshot
> ExecStart=/bin/systemctl start console-log.target
> RemainAfterExit=yes
>
> [Install]
> WantedBy=multi-user.target
>
> $
>
> The console-log-starter.service is the only persistent thing, all others
> are generated (including the target since the target lists all generated
> services). So I cannot enable them. The console-log-starter.service is
> the first unit that I can actually enable.
>
> When I search on the Internet I read that the generator should generate
> "the Wanted" Symlinks itself, but the docs also say that the generator
> can't write outside its target directories. And I don't have a clue
> which symlinks I am supposed to generate in the generator. And in the
> running system I don't see any symlinks regarding my units other than
> the
> /etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants/console-log-starter.service
> -> /etc/systemd/system/console-log-starter.service one that was
> generated when I enabled the start service.
>
> Am I supposed to
> ln -s /etc/systemd/system/console-log-8.service
> /etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants/console-log-8.service and
> ln -s /etc/systemd/system/console-log-9.service
> /etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants/console-log-9.service?
>
> How am I supposed to do this correctly? Or is my entire approach wrong?
>
> Greetings
> Marc
>
>
> --
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Marc Haber         | "I don't trust Computers. They | Mailadresse im Header
> Leimen, Germany    |  lose things."    Winona Ryder | Fon: *49 6224 1600402
> Nordisch by Nature |  How to make an American Quilt | Fax: *49 6224 1600421
>
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