# Service Management {#sec-systemctl}

In NixOS, all system services are started and monitored using the
systemd program. systemd is the "init" process of the system (i.e. PID
1), the parent of all other processes. It manages a set of so-called
"units", which can be things like system services (programs), but also
mount points, swap files, devices, targets (groups of units) and more.
Units can have complex dependencies; for instance, one unit can require
that another unit must be successfully started before the first unit can
be started. When the system boots, it starts a unit named
`default.target`; the dependencies of this unit cause all system
services to be started, file systems to be mounted, swap files to be
activated, and so on.

## Interacting with a running systemd {#sect-nixos-systemd-general}

The command `systemctl` is the main way to interact with `systemd`. The
following paragraphs demonstrate ways to interact with any OS running
systemd as init system. NixOS is of no exception. The [next section
](#sect-nixos-systemd-nixos) explains NixOS specific things worth
knowing.

Without any arguments, `systemctl` the status of active units:

```ShellSession
$ systemctl
-.mount          loaded active mounted   /
swapfile.swap    loaded active active    /swapfile
sshd.service     loaded active running   SSH Daemon
graphical.target loaded active active    Graphical Interface
...
```

You can ask for detailed status information about a unit, for instance,
the PostgreSQL database service:

```ShellSession
$ systemctl status postgresql.service
postgresql.service - PostgreSQL Server
          Loaded: loaded (/nix/store/pn3q73mvh75gsrl8w7fdlfk3fq5qm5mw-unit/postgresql.service)
          Active: active (running) since Mon, 2013-01-07 15:55:57 CET; 9h ago
        Main PID: 2390 (postgres)
          CGroup: name=systemd:/system/postgresql.service
                  ├─2390 postgres
                  ├─2418 postgres: writer process
                  ├─2419 postgres: wal writer process
                  ├─2420 postgres: autovacuum launcher process
                  ├─2421 postgres: stats collector process
                  └─2498 postgres: zabbix zabbix [local] idle

Jan 07 15:55:55 hagbard postgres[2394]: [1-1] LOG:  database system was shut down at 2013-01-07 15:55:05 CET
Jan 07 15:55:57 hagbard postgres[2390]: [1-1] LOG:  database system is ready to accept connections
Jan 07 15:55:57 hagbard postgres[2420]: [1-1] LOG:  autovacuum launcher started
Jan 07 15:55:57 hagbard systemd[1]: Started PostgreSQL Server.
```

Note that this shows the status of the unit (active and running), all
the processes belonging to the service, as well as the most recent log
messages from the service.

Units can be stopped, started or restarted:

```ShellSession
# systemctl stop postgresql.service
# systemctl start postgresql.service
# systemctl restart postgresql.service
```

These operations are synchronous: they wait until the service has
finished starting or stopping (or has failed). Starting a unit will
cause the dependencies of that unit to be started as well (if
necessary).

## systemd in NixOS {#sect-nixos-systemd-nixos}

Packages in Nixpkgs sometimes provide systemd units with them, usually