doc/nixos: Explain better NixOS specific Systemd stuff
Divide the "Service Management" chapter into two sections. The 1st (the original) explaining General, not NixOS specific ways to interact with Systemd. The 2nd section, explaining NixOS specific things worth knowing. Explain in the 2nd section a bit NixOS modules and services of Nixpkgs, and mention `systemd.user.services` option. Give an example demonstrating how to enable imperatively an upstream provided unit file for a user. Explain why `systemctl --user enable` doesn't work for the long term on NixOS.
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Doron Behar
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<title>Service Management</title>
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<para>
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In NixOS, all system services are started and monitored using the systemd
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program. Systemd is the “init” process of the system (i.e. PID 1), the
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program. systemd is the “init” process of the system (i.e. PID 1), the
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parent of all other processes. It manages a set of so-called “units”,
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which can be things like system services (programs), but also mount points,
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swap files, devices, targets (groups of units) and more. Units can have
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dependencies of this unit cause all system services to be started, file
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systems to be mounted, swap files to be activated, and so on.
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</para>
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<para>
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The command <command>systemctl</command> is the main way to interact with
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<command>systemd</command>. Without any arguments, it shows the status of
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active units:
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<section xml:id="sect-nixos-systemd-general">
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<title>Interacting with a running systemd</title>
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<para>
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The command <command>systemctl</command> is the main way to interact with
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<command>systemd</command>. The following paragraphs demonstrate ways to
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interact with any OS running systemd as init system. NixOS is of no
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exception. The <link xlink:href="#sect-nixos-systemd-nixos">next section
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</link> explains NixOS specific things worth knowing.
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</para>
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<para>
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Without any arguments, <literal>systmctl</literal> the status of active units:
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<screen>
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<prompt>$ </prompt>systemctl
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-.mount loaded active mounted /
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@ -28,10 +35,10 @@ sshd.service loaded active running SSH Daemon
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graphical.target loaded active active Graphical Interface
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<replaceable>...</replaceable>
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</screen>
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</para>
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<para>
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You can ask for detailed status information about a unit, for instance, the
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PostgreSQL database service:
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</para>
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<para>
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You can ask for detailed status information about a unit, for instance, the
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PostgreSQL database service:
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<screen>
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<prompt>$ </prompt>systemctl status postgresql.service
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postgresql.service - PostgreSQL Server
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@ -62,11 +69,72 @@ Jan 07 15:55:57 hagbard systemd[1]: Started PostgreSQL Server.
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# systemctl start postgresql.service
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# systemctl restart postgresql.service
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</screen>
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These operations are synchronous: they wait until the service has finished
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starting or stopping (or has failed). Starting a unit will cause the
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dependencies of that unit to be started as well (if necessary).
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</para>
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<!-- - cgroups: each service and user session is a cgroup
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These operations are synchronous: they wait until the service has finished
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starting or stopping (or has failed). Starting a unit will cause the
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dependencies of that unit to be started as well (if necessary).
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</para>
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<!-- TODO: document cgroups, draft:
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each service and user session is a cgroup
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- cgroup resource management -->
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- cgroup resource management -->
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</section>
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<section xml:id="sect-nixos-systemd-nixos">
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<title>systemd in NixOS</title>
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<para>
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Packages in Nixpkgs sometimes provide systemd units with them, usually in
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e.g <literal>#pkg-out#/lib/systemd/</literal>. Putting such a package in
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<literal>environment.systemPackages</literal> doesn't make the service
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available to users or the system.
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</para>
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<para>
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In order to enable a systemd <emphasis>system</emphasis> service with
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provided upstream package, use (e.g):
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<programlisting>
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<xref linkend="opt-systemd.packages"/> = [ pkgs.packagekit ];
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</programlisting>
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</para>
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<para>
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Usually NixOS modules written by the community do the above, plus take care of
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other details. If a module was written for a service you are interested in,
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you'd probably need only to use
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<literal>services.#name#.enable = true;</literal>. These services are defined
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in Nixpkgs'
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<link xlink:href="https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/tree/master/nixos/modules">
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<literal>nixos/modules/</literal> directory </link>. In case the service is
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simple enough, the above method should work, and start the service on boot.
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</para>
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<para>
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<emphasis>User</emphasis> systemd services on the other hand, should be
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treated differently. Given a package that has a systemd unit file at
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<literal>#pkg-out#/lib/systemd/user/</literal>, using
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<xref linkend="opt-systemd.packages"/> will make you able to start the service via
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<literal>systemctl --user start</literal>, but it won't start automatically on login.
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<!-- TODO: Document why systemd.packages doesn't work for user services or fix this.
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https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/blob/2cd6594a8710a801038af2b72348658f732ce84a/nixos/modules/system/boot/systemd-lib.nix#L177-L198
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This has been talked over at https://discourse.nixos.org/t/how-to-enable-upstream-systemd-user-services-declaratively/7649/5
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-->
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However, You can imperatively enable it by adding the package's attribute to
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<link linkend="opt-environment.systemPackages">
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<literal>systemd.packages</literal></link> and then do this (e.g):
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<screen>
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<prompt>$ </prompt>mkdir -p ~/.config/systemd/user/default.target.wants
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<prompt>$ </prompt>ln -s /run/current-system/sw/lib/systemd/user/syncthing.service ~/.config/systemd/user/default.target.wants/
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<prompt>$ </prompt>systemctl --user daemon-reload
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<prompt>$ </prompt>systemctl --user enable syncthing.service
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</screen>
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If you are interested in a timer file, use <literal>timers.target.wants</literal>
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instead of <literal>default.target.wants</literal> in the 1st and 2nd command.
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</para>
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<para>
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Using <literal>systemctl --user enable syncthing.service</literal> instead of
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the above, will work, but it'll use the absolute path of
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<literal>syncthing.service</literal> for the symlink, and this path is in
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<literal>/nix/store/.../lib/systemd/user/</literal>. Hence
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<link xlink:href="#sec-nix-gc">garbage collection</link> will remove that file
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and you will wind up with a broken symlink in your systemd configuration, which
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in turn will not make the service / timer start on login.
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</para>
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</section>
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</chapter>
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