How to use the command systemd-confext (with examples)

Systemd-confext is an alias of the systemd-sysext command. It functions similarly to the systemd-sysext command but is specifically designed to operate on the /etc directory rather than /usr and /opt. This command is used to extend the systemd configuration files by including additional files from a specific directory. By using systemd-confext, it becomes easy to organize and manage custom configuration files within the /etc directory.

Use case 1: View documentation for the original command

Code:

tldr systemd-sysext

Motivation:

The motivation behind viewing the documentation for the original command (systemd-sysext) is to understand the general usage, options, and arguments of the command. This helps to gain a better understanding of the underlying functionality of systemd-confext.

Explanation:

The “tldr” command stands for “too long, didn’t read” and is used to quickly view concise and simplified documentation for various commands. In this case, running “tldr systemd-sysext” provides a brief summary and examples of how to use the systemd-sysext command.

Example Output:

- Copy the files from /usr/etc/system.extension.d into /etc/systemd/system.extension.d
  | sudo systemd-sysext

- Copy the files from /usr/local/etc/system.extension.d into /etc/systemd/system.extension.d
  | sudo systemd-sysext -r /usr/local

- List files in the default directories, without modifying the system
  | systemd-sysext -t

- List files in alternative directories
  | systemd-sysext -t -r /usr/local

- Dry-run mode (no actual files will be copied)
  | systemd-sysext --dry-run

Use case 2: Extend configuration files in the /etc directory

Code:

sudo system-confext

Motivation:

The motivation for using this use case is to extend and manage the configuration files within the /etc directory. By running the systemd-confext command, additional configuration files can be included from a specific directory, making it easier to organize and maintain system-wide configurations.

Explanation:

The “sudo” command is used to execute the systemd-confext command with administrative privileges. This is necessary to modify files within the /etc directory. By running the command without any arguments, systemd-confext will copy the files from the default /etc/systemd/system.extension.d directory into the /etc/systemd/system.extension.d directory.

Example Output:

Copied files from /etc/systemd/system.extension.d

Use case 3: Extend configuration files from a custom directory

Code:

sudo systemd-confext -r /path/to/custom/directory

Motivation:

The motivation behind using this use case is to extend the configuration files from a custom directory rather than the default directory. This allows for more flexibility in managing system-wide configurations.

Explanation:

By adding the “-r /path/to/custom/directory” argument to the systemd-confext command, you can specify a custom directory from which to copy the additional configuration files. The “/path/to/custom/directory” should be replaced with the actual path to the desired directory.

Example Output:

Copied files from /path/to/custom/directory

Conclusion:

In this article, we explored the systemd-confext command, which is an alias of the systemd-sysext command. We learned how to view the documentation for the original command using “tldr systemd-sysext” and demonstrated various use cases of systemd-confext. By utilizing systemd-confext, system administrators can easily extend and manage configuration files within the /etc directory, ultimately providing a more organized and maintainable system-wide configuration.