Ubuntu – the systemd units/services located in Ubuntu

bootsystemd

I keep finding, while googling, that they're located at /usr/lib/systemd/system/ and /etc/systemd/system/. However, in my ubuntu, the first doesn't even exist, and the other has only a few services

bluetooth.target.wants                      default.target.wants           hybrid-sleep.target.wants    shutdown.target.wants
dbus-org.bluez.service                      display-manager.service        multi-user.target.wants      sockets.target.wants
dbus-org.freedesktop.Avahi.service          display-manager.service.wants  network-online.target.wants  suspend.target.wants
dbus-org.freedesktop.ModemManager1.service  getty.target.wants             paths.target.wants           sysinit.target.wants
dbus-org.freedesktop.nm-dispatcher.service  graphical.target.wants         plexmediaserver.service      syslog.service
dbus-org.freedesktop.thermald.service       hibernate.target.wants         printer.target.wants         timers.target.wants

Where are the others?

When I run systemctl list-units I see so many services but I don't know where to locate them. For example, where is my plexmediaserver.service? I need to know because that's where I want to put my other units.

Best Answer

The package-provided service files are all usually located in /lib/systemd/system. For example, search for .service in the package index.

From man systemd.unit:

/etc/systemd/system/*
/run/systemd/system/*
/lib/systemd/system/*
...

$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/systemd/user/*
$HOME/.config/systemd/user/*
/etc/systemd/user/*
$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/systemd/user/*
/run/systemd/user/*
$XDG_DATA_HOME/systemd/user/*
$HOME/.local/share/systemd/user/*
/usr/lib/systemd/user/*

The latter ones are for user sessions. IIRC Ubuntu 16.04 still uses upstart for user sessions, so those files are only applicable from after 16.04.

For a specific service, to see what systemd is reading, run systemctl status <service> or systemctl show <service>:

$ systemctl show ssh.service | grep Path
FragmentPath=/lib/systemd/system/ssh.service
DropInPaths=/etc/systemd/system/ssh.service.d/override.conf
$ systemctl status ssh.service
● ssh.service - OpenBSD Secure Shell server
   Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/ssh.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled)
  Drop-In: /etc/systemd/system/ssh.service.d
           └─override.conf
   Active: active (running) since Thu 2017-01-26 16:06:53 JST; 21h ago
 Main PID: 948 (sshd)
   CGroup: /system.slice/ssh.service
           └─948 /usr/sbin/sshd -D
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