{ "mode": "man", "parameter": "systemd-run", "section": "1", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/systemd-run/1/json", "generated": "2026-09-07T00:34:39Z", "synopsis": "systemd-run [OPTIONS...] COMMAND [ARGS...]\nsystemd-run [OPTIONS...] [PATH OPTIONS...] {COMMAND} [ARGS...]\nsystemd-run [OPTIONS...] [SOCKET OPTIONS...] {COMMAND} [ARGS...]\nsystemd-run [OPTIONS...] [TIMER OPTIONS...] {COMMAND} [ARGS...]", "sections": { "NAME": { "content": "systemd-run - Run programs in transient scope units, service units, or path-, socket-, or\ntimer-triggered service units\n", "subsections": [] }, "SYNOPSIS": { "content": "systemd-run [OPTIONS...] COMMAND [ARGS...]\n\nsystemd-run [OPTIONS...] [PATH OPTIONS...] {COMMAND} [ARGS...]\n\nsystemd-run [OPTIONS...] [SOCKET OPTIONS...] {COMMAND} [ARGS...]\n\nsystemd-run [OPTIONS...] [TIMER OPTIONS...] {COMMAND} [ARGS...]\n", "subsections": [] }, "DESCRIPTION": { "content": "systemd-run may be used to create and start a transient .service or .scope unit and run the\nspecified COMMAND in it. It may also be used to create and start a transient .path, .socket,\nor .timer unit, that activates a .service unit when elapsing.\n\nIf a command is run as transient service unit, it will be started and managed by the service\nmanager like any other service, and thus shows up in the output of systemctl list-units like\nany other unit. It will run in a clean and detached execution environment, with the service\nmanager as its parent process. In this mode, systemd-run will start the service\nasynchronously in the background and return after the command has begun execution (unless\n--no-block or --wait are specified, see below).\n\nIf a command is run as transient scope unit, it will be executed by systemd-run itself as\nparent process and will thus inherit the execution environment of the caller. However, the\nprocesses of the command are managed by the service manager similarly to normal services, and\nwill show up in the output of systemctl list-units. Execution in this case is synchronous,\nand will return only when the command finishes. This mode is enabled via the --scope switch\n(see below).\n\nIf a command is run with path, socket, or timer options such as --on-calendar= (see below), a\ntransient path, socket, or timer unit is created alongside the service unit for the specified\ncommand. Only the transient path, socket, or timer unit is started immediately, the transient\nservice unit will be triggered by the path, socket, or timer unit. If the --unit= option is\nspecified, the COMMAND may be omitted. In this case, systemd-run creates only a .path,\n.socket, or .timer unit that triggers the specified unit.\n\nBy default, services created with systemd-run default to the simple type, see the description\nof Type= in systemd.service(5) for details. Note that when this type is used, the service\nmanager (and thus the systemd-run command) considers service start-up successful as soon as\nthe fork() for the main service process succeeded, i.e. before the execve() is invoked, and\nthus even if the specified command cannot be started. Consider using the exec service type\n(i.e. --property=Type=exec) to ensure that systemd-run returns successfully only if the\nspecified command line has been successfully started.\n\nAfter systemd-run passes the command to the service manager, the manager performs variable\nexpansion. This means that dollar characters (\"$\") which should not be expanded need to be\nescaped as \"$$\". Expansion can also be disabled using --expand-environment=no.\n", "subsections": [] }, "OPTIONS": { "content": "The following options are understood:\n", "subsections": [ { "name": "--no-ask-password", "content": "Do not query the user for authentication for privileged operations.\n\nAdded in version 226.\n", "long": "--no-ask-password" }, { "name": "--scope", "content": "Create a transient .scope unit instead of the default transient .service unit (see\nabove).\n\nAdded in version 206.\n\n--unit=, -u\nUse this unit name instead of an automatically generated one.\n\nAdded in version 206.\n\n--property=, -p\nSets a property on the scope or service unit that is created. This option takes an\nassignment in the same format as systemctl(1)'s set-property command.\n\nAdded in version 211.\n", "long": "--scope" }, { "name": "--description=", "content": "Provide a description for the service, scope, path, socket, or timer unit. If not\nspecified, the command itself will be used as a description. See Description= in\nsystemd.unit(5).\n\nAdded in version 206.\n" }, { "name": "--slice=", "content": "Make the new .service or .scope unit part of the specified slice, instead of system.slice\n(when running in --system mode) or the root slice (when running in --user mode).\n\nAdded in version 206.\n" }, { "name": "--slice-inherit", "content": "Make the new .service or .scope unit part of the inherited slice. This option can be\ncombined with --slice=.\n\nAn inherited slice is located within systemd-run slice. Example: if systemd-run slice is\nfoo.slice, and the --slice= argument is bar, the unit will be placed under the\nfoo-bar.slice.\n\nAdded in version 246.\n\n--expand-environment=BOOL\nExpand environment variables in command arguments. If enabled, environment variables\nspecified as \"${VARIABLE}\" will be expanded in the same way as in commands specified via\nExecStart= in units. With --scope, this expansion is performed by systemd-run itself, and\nin other cases by the service manager that spawns the command. Note that this is similar\nto, but not the same as variable expansion in bash(1) and other shells.\n\nThe default is to enable this option in all cases, except for --scope where it is\ndisabled by default, for backward compatibility reasons. Note that this will be changed\nin a future release, where it will be switched to enabled by default as well.\n\nSee systemd.service(5) for a description of variable expansion. Disabling variable\nexpansion is useful if the specified command includes or may include a \"$\" sign.\n\nAdded in version 254.\n", "long": "--slice-inherit" }, { "name": "-r --remain-after-exit", "content": "After the service process has terminated, keep the service around until it is explicitly\nstopped. This is useful to collect runtime information about the service after it\nfinished running. Also see RemainAfterExit= in systemd.service(5).\n\nAdded in version 207.\n", "flag": "-r", "long": "--remain-after-exit" }, { "name": "--send-sighup", "content": "When terminating the scope or service unit, send a SIGHUP immediately after SIGTERM. This\nis useful to indicate to shells and shell-like processes that the connection has been\nsevered. Also see SendSIGHUP= in systemd.kill(5).\n\nAdded in version 207.\n", "long": "--send-sighup" }, { "name": "--service-type=", "content": "Sets the service type. Also see Type= in systemd.service(5). This option has no effect in\nconjunction with --scope. Defaults to simple.\n\nAdded in version 211.\n\n--uid=, --gid=\nRuns the service process under the specified UNIX user and group. Also see User= and\nGroup= in systemd.exec(5).\n\nAdded in version 211.\n" }, { "name": "--nice=", "content": "Runs the service process with the specified nice level. Also see Nice= in\nsystemd.exec(5).\n\nAdded in version 211.\n" }, { "name": "--working-directory=", "content": "Runs the service process with the specified working directory. Also see WorkingDirectory=\nin systemd.exec(5).\n\nAdded in version 240.\n\n--same-dir, -d\nSimilar to --working-directory=, but uses the current working directory of the caller for\nthe service to execute.\n\nAdded in version 240.\n" }, { "name": "-E _ --setenv=_", "content": "Runs the service process with the specified environment variable set. This parameter may\nbe used more than once to set multiple variables. When \"=\" and VALUE are omitted, the\nvalue of the variable with the same name in the program environment will be used.\n\nAlso see Environment= in systemd.exec(5).\n\nAdded in version 211.\n\n--pty, -t\nWhen invoking the command, the transient service connects its standard input, output and\nerror to the terminal systemd-run is invoked on, via a pseudo TTY device. This allows\nrunning programs that expect interactive user input/output as services, such as\ninteractive command shells.\n\nNote that machinectl(1)'s shell command is usually a better alternative for requesting a\nnew, interactive login session on the local host or a local container.\n\nSee below for details on how this switch combines with --pipe.\n\nAdded in version 219.\n\n--pipe, -P\nIf specified, standard input, output, and error of the transient service are inherited\nfrom the systemd-run command itself. This allows systemd-run to be used within shell\npipelines. Note that this mode is not suitable for interactive command shells and\nsimilar, as the service process will not become a TTY controller when invoked on a\nterminal. Use --pty instead in that case.\n\nWhen both --pipe and --pty are used in combination the more appropriate option is\nautomatically determined and used. Specifically, when invoked with standard input, output\nand error connected to a TTY --pty is used, and otherwise --pipe.\n\nWhen this option is used the original file descriptors systemd-run receives are passed to\nthe service processes as-is. If the service runs with different privileges than\nsystemd-run, this means the service might not be able to re-open the passed file\ndescriptors, due to normal file descriptor access restrictions. If the invoked process is\na shell script that uses the echo \"hello\" >/dev/stderr construct for writing messages to\nstderr, this might cause problems, as this only works if stderr can be re-opened. To\nmitigate this use the construct echo \"hello\" >&2 instead, which is mostly equivalent and\navoids this pitfall.\n\nAdded in version 235.\n\n--shell, -S\nA shortcut for \"--pty --same-dir --wait --collect --service-type=exec $SHELL\", i.e.\nrequests an interactive shell in the current working directory, running in service\ncontext, accessible with a single switch.\n\nAdded in version 240.\n\n--quiet, -q\nSuppresses additional informational output while running. This is particularly useful in\ncombination with --pty when it will suppress the initial message explaining how to\nterminate the TTY connection.\n\nAdded in version 219.\n\n--on-active=, --on-boot=, --on-startup=, --on-unit-active=, --on-unit-inactive=\nDefines a monotonic timer relative to different starting points for starting the\nspecified command. See OnActiveSec=, OnBootSec=, OnStartupSec=, OnUnitActiveSec= and\nOnUnitInactiveSec= in systemd.timer(5) for details. These options are shortcuts for\n--timer-property= with the relevant properties. These options may not be combined with\n--scope or --pty.\n\nAdded in version 218.\n", "flag": "-E", "long": "--setenv", "arg": "_" }, { "name": "--on-calendar=", "content": "Defines a calendar timer for starting the specified command. See OnCalendar= in\nsystemd.timer(5). This option is a shortcut for --timer-property=OnCalendar=. This option\nmay not be combined with --scope or --pty.\n\nAdded in version 218.\n\n--on-clock-change, --on-timezone-change\nDefines a trigger based on system clock jumps or timezone changes for starting the\nspecified command. See OnClockChange= and OnTimezoneChange= in systemd.timer(5). These\noptions are shortcuts for --timer-property=OnClockChange=yes and\n--timer-property=OnTimezoneChange=yes. These options may not be combined with --scope or\n--pty.\n\nAdded in version 242.\n\n--path-property=, --socket-property=, --timer-property=\nSets a property on the path, socket, or timer unit that is created. This option is\nsimilar to --property=, but applies to the transient path, socket, or timer unit rather\nthan the transient service unit created. This option takes an assignment in the same\nformat as systemctl(1)'s set-property command. These options may not be combined with\n--scope or --pty.\n\nAdded in version 218.\n" }, { "name": "--no-block", "content": "Do not synchronously wait for the unit start operation to finish. If this option is not\nspecified, the start request for the transient unit will be verified, enqueued and\nsystemd-run will wait until the unit's start-up is completed. By passing this argument,\nit is only verified and enqueued. This option may not be combined with --wait.\n\nAdded in version 220.\n", "long": "--no-block" }, { "name": "--wait", "content": "Synchronously wait for the transient service to terminate. If this option is specified,\nthe start request for the transient unit is verified, enqueued, and waited for.\nSubsequently the invoked unit is monitored, and it is waited until it is deactivated\nagain (most likely because the specified command completed). On exit, terse information\nabout the unit's runtime is shown, including total runtime (as well as CPU usage, if\n--property=CPUAccounting=1 was set) and the exit code and status of the main process.\nThis output may be suppressed with --quiet. This option may not be combined with\n--no-block, --scope or the various path, socket, or timer options.\n\nAdded in version 232.\n", "long": "--wait" }, { "name": "-G --collect", "content": "Unload the transient unit after it completed, even if it failed. Normally, without this\noption, all units that ran and failed are kept in memory until the user explicitly resets\ntheir failure state with systemctl reset-failed or an equivalent command. On the other\nhand, units that ran successfully are unloaded immediately. If this option is turned on\nthe \"garbage collection\" of units is more aggressive, and unloads units regardless if\nthey exited successfully or failed. This option is a shortcut for\n--property=CollectMode=inactive-or-failed, see the explanation for CollectMode= in\nsystemd.unit(5) for further information.\n\nAdded in version 236.\n", "flag": "-G", "long": "--collect" }, { "name": "--user", "content": "Talk to the service manager of the calling user, rather than the service manager of the\nsystem.\n", "long": "--user" }, { "name": "--system", "content": "Talk to the service manager of the system. This is the implied default.\n", "long": "--system" }, { "name": "-H --host=", "content": "Execute the operation remotely. Specify a hostname, or a username and hostname separated\nby \"@\", to connect to. The hostname may optionally be suffixed by a port ssh is listening\non, separated by \":\", and then a container name, separated by \"/\", which connects\ndirectly to a specific container on the specified host. This will use SSH to talk to the\nremote machine manager instance. Container names may be enumerated with machinectl -H\nHOST. Put IPv6 addresses in brackets.\n", "flag": "-H" }, { "name": "-M --machine=", "content": "Execute operation on a local container. Specify a container name to connect to,\noptionally prefixed by a user name to connect as and a separating \"@\" character. If the\nspecial string \".host\" is used in place of the container name, a connection to the local\nsystem is made (which is useful to connect to a specific user's user bus: \"--user\n--machine=lennart@.host\"). If the \"@\" syntax is not used, the connection is made as root\nuser. If the \"@\" syntax is used either the left hand side or the right hand side may be\nomitted (but not both) in which case the local user name and \".host\" are implied.\n", "flag": "-M" }, { "name": "-h --help", "content": "Print a short help text and exit.\n", "flag": "-h", "long": "--help" }, { "name": "--version", "content": "Print a short version string and exit.\n\nAll command line arguments after the first non-option argument become part of the command\nline of the launched process.\n", "long": "--version" } ] }, "EXIT STATUS": { "content": "On success, 0 is returned. If systemd-run failed to start the service, a non-zero return\nvalue will be returned. If systemd-run waits for the service to terminate, the return value\nwill be propagated from the service. 0 will be returned on success, including all the cases\nwhere systemd considers a service to have exited cleanly, see the discussion of\nSuccessExitStatus= in systemd.service(5).\n", "subsections": [] }, "EXAMPLES": { "content": "", "subsections": [ { "name": "Example 1. Logging environment variables provided by systemd to services", "content": "# systemd-run env\nRunning as unit: run-19945.service\n# journalctl -u run-19945.service\nSep 08 07:37:21 bupkis systemd[1]: Starting /usr/bin/env...\nSep 08 07:37:21 bupkis systemd[1]: Started /usr/bin/env.\nSep 08 07:37:21 bupkis env[19948]: PATH=/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin\nSep 08 07:37:21 bupkis env[19948]: LANG=enUS.UTF-8\nSep 08 07:37:21 bupkis env[19948]: BOOTIMAGE=/vmlinuz-3.11.0-0.rc5.git6.2.fc20.x8664\n" }, { "name": "Example 2. Limiting resources available to a command", "content": "# systemd-run -p IOWeight=10 updatedb\n\nThis command invokes the updatedb(8) tool, but lowers the block I/O weight for it to 10. See\nsystemd.resource-control(5) for more information on the IOWeight= property.\n" }, { "name": "Example 3. Running commands at a specified time", "content": "The following command will touch a file after 30 seconds.\n\n# date; systemd-run --on-active=30 --timer-property=AccuracySec=100ms /bin/touch /tmp/foo\nMon Dec 8 20:44:24 KST 2014\nRunning as unit: run-71.timer\nWill run service as unit: run-71.service\n# journalctl -b -u run-71.timer\n-- Journal begins at Fri 2014-12-05 19:09:21 KST, ends at Mon 2014-12-08 20:44:54 KST. --\nDec 08 20:44:38 container systemd[1]: Starting /bin/touch /tmp/foo.\nDec 08 20:44:38 container systemd[1]: Started /bin/touch /tmp/foo.\n# journalctl -b -u run-71.service\n-- Journal begins at Fri 2014-12-05 19:09:21 KST, ends at Mon 2014-12-08 20:44:54 KST. --\nDec 08 20:44:48 container systemd[1]: Starting /bin/touch /tmp/foo...\nDec 08 20:44:48 container systemd[1]: Started /bin/touch /tmp/foo.\n" }, { "name": "Example 4. Allowing access to the tty", "content": "The following command invokes bash(1) as a service passing its standard input, output and\nerror to the calling TTY.\n\n# systemd-run -t --send-sighup bash\n" }, { "name": "Example 5. Start screen as a user service", "content": "$ systemd-run --scope --user screen\nRunning scope as unit run-r14b0047ab6df45bfb45e7786cc839e76.scope.\n\n$ screen -ls\nThere is a screen on:\n492..laptop (Detached)\n1 Socket in /var/run/screen/S-fatima.\n\nThis starts the screen process as a child of the systemd --user process that was started by\nuser@.service, in a scope unit. A systemd.scope(5) unit is used instead of a\nsystemd.service(5) unit, because screen will exit when detaching from the terminal, and a\nservice unit would be terminated. Running screen as a user unit has the advantage that it is\nnot part of the session scope. If KillUserProcesses=yes is configured in logind.conf(5), the\ndefault, the session scope will be terminated when the user logs out of that session.\n\nThe user@.service is started automatically when the user first logs in, and stays around as\nlong as at least one login session is open. After the user logs out of the last session,\nuser@.service and all services underneath it are terminated. This behavior is the default,\nwhen \"lingering\" is not enabled for that user. Enabling lingering means that user@.service is\nstarted automatically during boot, even if the user is not logged in, and that the service is\nnot terminated when the user logs out.\n\nEnabling lingering allows the user to run processes without being logged in, for example to\nallow screen to persist after the user logs out, even if the session scope is terminated. In\nthe default configuration, users can enable lingering for themselves:\n\n$ loginctl enable-linger\n" }, { "name": "Example 6. Variable expansion by the manager", "content": "$ systemd-run -t echo \"<${INVOCATIONID}>\" '<${INVOCATIONID}>'\n<> <5d0149bfa2c34b79bccb13074001eb20>\n\n\nThe first argument is expanded by the shell (double quotes), but the second one is not\nexpanded by the shell (single quotes). echo(1) is called with [\"/usr/bin/echo\", \"<>\",\n\"<${INVOCATIONID}>\"] as the argument array, and then systemd(1) generates ${INVOCATIONID}\nand substitutes it in the command-line. This substitution could not be done on the client\nside, because the target ID that will be set for the service isn't known before the call is\nmade.\n" }, { "name": "Example 7. Variable expansion and output redirection using a shell", "content": "Variable expansion by systemd(1) can be disabled with --expand-environment=no.\n\nDisabling variable expansion can be useful if the command to execute contains dollar\ncharacters and escaping them would be inconvenient. For example, when a shell is used:\n\n$ systemd-run --expand-environment=no -t bash \\\n-c 'echo $SHELL $$ >/dev/stdout'\n/bin/bash 12345\n\n\nThe last argument is passed verbatim to the bash(1) shell which is started by the service\nunit. The shell expands \"$SHELL\" to the path of the shell, and \"$$\" to its process number,\nand then those strings are passed to the echo built-in and printed to standard output (which\nin this case is connected to the calling terminal).\n" }, { "name": "Example 8. Return value", "content": "$ systemd-run --user --wait true\n$ systemd-run --user --wait -p SuccessExitStatus=11 bash -c 'exit 11'\n$ systemd-run --user --wait -p SuccessExitStatus=SIGUSR1 --expand-environment=no \\\nbash -c 'kill -SIGUSR1 $$'\n\nThose three invocations will succeed, i.e. terminate with an exit code of 0.\n" } ] }, "SEE ALSO": { "content": "systemd(1), systemctl(1), systemd.unit(5), systemd.service(5), systemd.scope(5),\nsystemd.slice(5), systemd.exec(5), systemd.resource-control(5), systemd.timer(5), systemd-\nmount(1), machinectl(1)\n\nsystemd 255 SYSTEMD-RUN(1)", "subsections": [] } }, "summary": "systemd-run - Run programs in transient scope units, service units, or path-, socket-, or timer-triggered service units", "flags": [ { "flag": "", "long": "--no-ask-password", "arg": null, "description": "Do not query the user for authentication for privileged operations. Added in version 226." }, { "flag": "", "long": "--scope", "arg": null, "description": "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." }, { "flag": "", "long": null, "arg": null, "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." }, { "flag": "", "long": null, "arg": null, "description": "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." }, { "flag": "", "long": "--slice-inherit", "arg": null, "description": "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." }, { "flag": "-r", "long": "--remain-after-exit", "arg": null, "description": "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." }, { "flag": "", "long": "--send-sighup", "arg": null, "description": "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." }, { "flag": "", "long": null, "arg": null, "description": "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." }, { "flag": "", "long": null, "arg": null, "description": "Runs the service process with the specified nice level. Also see Nice= in systemd.exec(5). Added in version 211." }, { "flag": "", "long": null, "arg": null, "description": "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." }, { "flag": "-E", "long": "--setenv", "arg": "_", "description": "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." }, { "flag": "", "long": null, "arg": null, "description": "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." }, { "flag": "", "long": "--no-block", "arg": null, "description": "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." }, { "flag": "", "long": "--wait", "arg": null, "description": "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." }, { "flag": "-G", "long": "--collect", "arg": null, "description": "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." }, { "flag": "", "long": "--user", "arg": null, "description": "Talk to the service manager of the calling user, rather than the service manager of the system." }, { "flag": "", "long": "--system", "arg": null, "description": "Talk to the service manager of the system. This is the implied default." }, { "flag": "-H", "long": null, "arg": null, "description": "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." }, { "flag": "-M", "long": null, "arg": null, "description": "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." }, { "flag": "-h", "long": "--help", "arg": null, "description": "Print a short help text and exit." }, { "flag": "", "long": "--version", "arg": null, "description": "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." } ], "examples": [ "# 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=enUS.UTF-8", "Sep 08 07:37:21 bupkis env[19948]: BOOTIMAGE=/vmlinuz-3.11.0-0.rc5.git6.2.fc20.x8664", "# 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.", "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.", "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", "$ 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", "$ systemd-run -t echo \"<${INVOCATIONID}>\" '<${INVOCATIONID}>'", "<> <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\", \"<>\",", "\"<${INVOCATIONID}>\"] as the argument array, and then systemd(1) generates ${INVOCATIONID}", "and substitutes it in the command-line. This substitution could not be done on the client", "side, because the target ID that will be set for the service isn't known before the call is", "made.", "Variable expansion by systemd(1) can be disabled with --expand-environment=no.", "Disabling variable expansion can be useful if the command to execute contains dollar", "characters and escaping them would be inconvenient. For example, when a shell is used:", "$ 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).", "$ 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": [ { "name": "systemd", "section": "1", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/systemd/1/json" }, { "name": "systemctl", "section": "1", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/systemctl/1/json" }, { "name": "systemd.unit", "section": "5", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/systemd.unit/5/json" }, { "name": "systemd.service", "section": "5", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/systemd.service/5/json" }, { "name": "systemd.scope", "section": "5", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/systemd.scope/5/json" }, { "name": "systemd.slice", "section": "5", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/systemd.slice/5/json" }, { "name": "systemd.exec", "section": "5", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/systemd.exec/5/json" }, { "name": "systemd.resource-control", "section": "5", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/systemd.resource-control/5/json" }, { "name": "systemd.timer", "section": "5", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/systemd.timer/5/json" }, { "name": "mount", "section": "1", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/mount/1/json" }, { "name": "machinectl", "section": "1", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/machinectl/1/json" }, { "name": "SYSTEMD-RUN", "section": "1", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/SYSTEMD-RUN/1/json" } ], "tldr": { "source": "official", "description": "Run programs in transient scope units, service units, or path-, socket-, or timer-triggered service units.", "examples": [ { "description": "Start a transient service", "command": "sudo systemd-run {{command}} {{argument1 argument2 ...}}" }, { "description": "Start a transient service under the service manager of the current user (no privileges)", "command": "systemd-run --user {{command}} {{argument1 argument2 ...}}" }, { "description": "Start a transient service with a custom unit name and description", "command": "sudo systemd-run {{-u|--unit}} {{name}} --description {{string}} {{command}} {{argument1 argument2 ...}}" }, { "description": "Start a transient service that does not get cleaned up after it terminates with a custom environment variable", "command": "sudo systemd-run {{-r|--remain-after-exit}} --set-env={{name}}={{value}} {{command}} {{argument1 argument2 ...}}" }, { "description": "Start a transient timer that periodically runs its transient service (see `man systemd.time` for calendar event format)", "command": "sudo systemd-run --on-calendar={{calendar_event}} {{command}} {{argument1 argument2 ...}}" }, { "description": "Share the terminal with the program (allowing interactive input/output) and make sure the execution details remain after the program exits", "command": "systemd-run {{-r|--remain-after-exit}} --pty {{command}}" }, { "description": "Set properties (e.g. CPUQuota, MemoryMax) of the process and wait until it exits", "command": "systemd-run {{-p|--property}} MemoryMax={{memory_in_bytes}} {{-p|--property}} CPUQuota={{percentage_of_cpu_time}}% --wait {{command}}" }, { "description": "Use the program in a shell pipeline", "command": "{{command1}} | systemd-run {{-P|--pipe}} {{command2}} | {{command3}}" } ] } }