Description

Scope units are not configured via unit configuration files, but are only created programmatically using the bus interfaces of systemd. They are named similar to filenames. A unit whose name ends in .scope refers to a scope unit. Scopes units manage a set of system processes. Unlike service units, scope units manage externally created processes, and do not fork off processes on its own.

The main purpose of scope units is grouping worker processes of a system service for organization and for managing resources.

systemd-run --scope may be used to easily launch a command in a new scope unit from the command line.

See the New Control Group Interfaces for an introduction how to make use of scope units from programs.

Unless DefaultDependencies=false is used, scope units will implicitly have dependencies of type Conflicts= and Before= on shutdown.target . These ensure that scope units are removed prior to system shutdown. Only scope units involved with early boot or late system shutdown should disable this option.

See Also

systemd(1) , systemd-run(1) , unitfile(5) , unitfile_rlimit(5) , unitfile_service(5) , systemd.directives(7) .