Systemd on Linux Café

Taming systemd-resolved: My Journey to Reliable DNS Resolution at Home

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 08:31:17 +0200

Introduction to systemd-resolved

I’ve been using Linux for years, and I’ve had my fair share of struggles with DNS resolution. Recently, I decided to take a closer look at systemd-resolved, the DNS resolver component of systemd. I was looking for a reliable way to resolve DNS at home, and I’m happy to share what I’ve learned.

What is systemd-resolved?

systemd-resolved is a system service that provides DNS resolution for Linux systems. It’s designed to replace traditional DNS resolvers like bind and dnsmasq. One of the key benefits of systemd-resolved is its integration with the rest of the systemd ecosystem, making it easy to manage and configure. Don’t bother with bind and dnsmasq unless you have a specific reason to - systemd-resolved is a solid choice for most users.

Taming Background Tasks with nohup and systemd: My Homelab Workflow

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 09:17:56 +0200

Introduction to Background Tasks

As someone who’s spent years running a homelab, I’ve found myself dealing with a multitude of background tasks on a daily basis. These tasks can range from simple scripts to complex services, all of which need to be managed and monitored. I’ve seen this go wrong when a task is left to run without proper management, so I’ve learned to rely on tools like screen and tmux to keep my tasks running. However, I’ve recently started using nohup and systemd to manage my background tasks, and I have to say, it’s been a game-changer.

Taming Removable Device Chaos: Automatically Mounting and Naming Disks on Desktop Linux

Sat, 30 May 2026 10:15:43 +0200

Introduction to Removable Device Chaos

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve struggled with removable devices on my Linux desktop. Whether it’s a USB drive, an SD card, or an external hard drive, these devices can be a real hassle to manage. The problem usually starts when you plug in a device and your system assigns it a cryptic device file in the /dev directory. For example, a USB drive might become /dev/sdb1. Not exactly user-friendly, right?

Taming systemd Service Restarts: When RestartSec Isn't Enough

Fri, 29 May 2026 08:38:45 +0200

Introduction to systemd Service Restarts

I’ve worked with systemd services for years, and one thing that’s always caught my attention is the Restart directive. You know, that option that lets you configure how a service should be restarted in case of failure. The RestartSec option is particularly interesting - it specifies the time to sleep before restarting a service. But, as I’ve learned the hard way, RestartSec isn’t always enough to ensure reliable service restarts.

Taming My Laptop's Power Consumption with systemd and Linux Tools

Thu, 28 May 2026 11:33:08 +0200

Introduction to Power Management

I’ve always been keen on optimizing my laptop’s power consumption, and with the latest Linux kernel and systemd advancements, it’s become a lot easier to manage. In this article, I’ll walk you through my experience with taming my laptop’s power usage using systemd and Linux tools.

Understanding Power Consumption

To get started, you need to know where your laptop is consuming power. I usually start with the powertop tool to analyze power usage. It’s a command-line tool that shows you which components are consuming the most power. You can install it on most Linux distributions, including Arch Linux and Debian. Don’t bother with the GUI tools for this - powertop gives you all the info you need.

Troubleshooting Failed Mounts in Emergency Mode with systemd

Wed, 27 May 2026 08:35:53 +0200

Introduction to Emergency Mode

I’ve seen my fair share of Linux systems dropping into emergency mode, and it’s usually due to a critical issue during boot. This mode provides a minimal environment for troubleshooting and repair, which can be a lifesaver. One common issue that can lead to emergency mode is a failed mount. In this article, I’ll walk you through how to troubleshoot failed mounts in emergency mode with systemd.

Taming Systemd Services that Refuse to Die: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the `--no-block` Option

Sun, 24 May 2026 10:23:19 +0200

Introduction to Systemd Services

I’ve encountered my fair share of services that just won’t quit, even after trying to stop them. It’s frustrating, especially when you’re trying to troubleshoot or debug issues. One option that’s been a lifesaver for me is the --no-block option when managing systemd services. In this article, I’ll show you how to use this option to tame those stubborn services and make your Linux workflow more efficient.

Taming systemd Service Restart Behavior with StartLimitBurst and StartLimitInterval

Sat, 23 May 2026 11:27:52 +0200

Introduction to systemd Service Restart Behavior

I’ve seen this go wrong when working with systemd services: a service restarts repeatedly, causing issues with your system’s stability and performance. The real trick is to understand how to tame this behavior using two key parameters: StartLimitBurst and StartLimitInterval.

Understanding StartLimitBurst and StartLimitInterval

These two settings are related and determine how often a systemd service can restart within a given time frame. StartLimitBurst specifies the maximum number of restarts allowed within the StartLimitInterval time period. If the service restarts more times than specified by StartLimitBurst within the StartLimitInterval, it will be placed in a failed state and will not be restarted again.

Taming System Load Spikes with nice, ionice, and cgroups on a Home Server

Fri, 22 May 2026 10:06:37 +0200

Introduction to System Load Spikes

I’ve had my fair share of system load spikes on my home server over the years. These spikes can be caused by resource-intensive applications, misconfigured services, or even malware. I recall one particularly nasty spike that brought my server to its knees - it was a real wake-up call. Since then, I’ve been exploring ways to manage system load on my Linux home server. In this article, I’ll share my experiences with using nice, ionice, and cgroups to tame these spikes.

Recovering from a Failed Boot After Accidentally Removing systemd on a Desktop System

Thu, 21 May 2026 10:50:50 +0200

Introduction to the Problem

I’ve seen this go wrong when you’re trying to remove unnecessary packages from your system - accidentally removing systemd can be a real headache. As of 2026, systemd has become an essential part of many Linux distributions, including Debian, Arch Linux, and OpenSUSE. It’s responsible for managing system services, boot processes, and system states. If you’ve found yourself in this situation, don’t worry, it’s recoverable. In this article, we’ll walk through the steps to recover from a failed boot after removing systemd.

Taming Background Tasks with nohup and systemd - A Homelab Lesson Learned

Wed, 20 May 2026 09:30:22 +0200

Introduction to Background Tasks

As someone who’s spent years running a homelab, I’ve learned that managing background tasks can be a real challenge. You’ve got scripts and commands that need to keep running, even after you’ve logged out of your system. In my experience, nohup and systemd have been the two most useful tools for getting this done.

What is nohup?

nohup is a simple command that lets you run a process in the background, ignoring the SIGHUP signal that’s sent when the controlling terminal closes. This means you can start a process with nohup, log out, and the process will just keep on running. Here’s an example:

Taming CPU Usage Spikes with `systemd` and `ps` in My Home Server Setup

Sun, 17 May 2026 10:15:48 +0200

Introduction to CPU Usage Spikes

I’ve had my fair share of CPU usage spikes on my home server, and I’ve learned that they can be caused by a variety of factors, including resource-intensive applications, misconfigured services, or even malware. The real trick is to identify the root cause of the spike and take corrective action. In my experience, using systemd and ps can be a powerful way to manage CPU usage spikes.

Understanding Systemd

Fri, 03 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Systemd is a modern init system and service manager for Linux, designed to address the limitations of traditional init systems like SysVinit. It has become the default init system for many major Linux distributions, including Ubuntu, Fedora, and Arch Linux. Systemd offers a comprehensive set of features aimed at improving the efficiency, performance, and manageability of Linux systems.

Key Features of Systemd

Parallel Startup

One of Systemd’s most significant advantages is its ability to start services in parallel, drastically reducing boot times. Unlike older init systems, which execute startup scripts sequentially, Systemd leverages dependency management to start services simultaneously whenever possible.