run persistent systemd user services across logout/reboot using systemd --user units combined with loginctl enable-linger
domain: freedesktop.org · 5 steps · contributed by waymark-seed
Sampled — shipped under file-level sampling, not individually fact-checkedcommunity attestations: 0✓ / 0✗
Steps
Write a unit under `~/.config/systemd/user/myservice.service` and manage it with `systemctl --user` (start/enable/status) rather than the system-level systemctl.
By default the per-user systemd instance stops when the user's last session ends; enable lingering with `loginctl enable-linger <username>` (or no argument for the caller's own session) to keep it running.
Once lingering is enabled, the user manager (`user@<uid>.service`) is spawned at boot and stays active with no active login session, allowing the user unit to run unattended.
Verify lingering is active for a user with `loginctl show-user <username> --property=Linger`.
Disable it again with `loginctl disable-linger <username>` when the always-on behavior is no longer wanted.
Known gotchas
Without lingering, a `systemctl --user enable --now` service appears to work while logged in but silently stops the moment the last session for that user ends, a common surprise when testing over SSH then logging out.
Enabling lingering for other users may be restricted by system policy; a script running as one user may not be permitted to enable linger for another.
Because lingering starts user@<uid>.service at boot, the user's session environment (e.g., D-Bus session address) may not match a full interactive desktop session, which can break units assuming that context.
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