1SYSTEMD.PATH(5) systemd.path SYSTEMD.PATH(5)
2
6 systemd.path - systemd path configuration files
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9 systemd.path
10
12 A unit configuration file whose name ends in .path encodes information
13 about a path monitored by systemd, for path-based activation.
14 This man page lists the configuration options specific to this unit
16 type. See systemd.unit(5) for the common options of all unit
17 configuration files. The common configuration items are configured in
18 the generic [Unit] and [Install] sections. The path specific
19 configuration options are configured in the [Path] section.
20 For each path file, a matching unit file must exist, describing the
22 unit to activate when the path changes. By default, a service by the
23 same name as the path (except for the suffix) is activated. Example: a
24 path file foo.path activates a matching service foo.service. The unit
25 to activate may be controlled by Unit= (see below).
26 Internally, path units use the inotify(7) API to monitor file systems.
28 Due to that, it suffers by the same limitations as inotify, and for
29 example cannot be used to monitor files or directories changed by other
30 machines on remote NFS file systems.
31 If an path unit is beneath another mount point in the file system
33 hierarchy, a dependency between both units is created automatically.
34 Unless DefaultDependencies= is set to false, path units will implicitly
36 have dependencies of type Conflicts= and Before= on shutdown.target.
37 These ensure that path units are terminated cleanly prior to system
38 shutdown. Only path units involved with early boot or late system
39 shutdown should disable this option.
40
42 Path files must include a [Path] section, which carries information
43 about the path(s) it monitors. The options specific to the [Path]
44 section of path units are the following:
45 PathExists=, PathChanged=, DirectoryNotEmpty=
47 Defines paths to monitor for certain changes: PathExists= may be
48 used to watch the mere existence of a file or directory. If the
49 file specified exists the configured unit is activated.
50 PathChanged= may be used to watch a file or directory and activate
51 the configured unit whenever it changes or is modified.
52 DirectoryNotEmpty= may be used to watch a directory and activate
53 the configured unit whenever it contains at least one file.
54 The arguments of these directives must be absolute file system
56 paths.
57 Multiple directives may be combined, of the same and of different
59 types, to watch multiple paths.
60 If a path is already existing (in case of PathExists=) or a
62 directory already is not empty (in case of DirectoryNotEmpty=) at
63 the time the path unit is activated, then the configured unit is
64 immediately activated as well. Something similar does not apply to
65 PathChanged=.
66 Unit=
68 The unit to activate when any of the configured paths changes. The
69 argument is a unit name, whose suffix is not .path. If not
70 specified, this value defaults to a service that has the same name
71 as the path unit, except for the suffix. (See above.) It is
72 recommended that the unit name that is activated and the unit name
73 of the path unit are named identical, except for the suffix.
74
76 systemd(1), systemctl(8), systemd.unit(5), systemd.service(5),
77 inotify(7)
78
80 Lennart Poettering <lennart@poettering.net>
81 Developer
82systemd 09/14/2010 SYSTEMD.PATH(5)