# systemd.target

systemd

systemd.target

5

systemd.target

Target unit configuration

`target.target`

# Description

A unit configuration file whose name ends in `.target` encodes information about a target unit of systemd. Target units are used to group units and to set synchronization points for ordering dependencies with other unit files.

This unit type has no specific options. See `systemd.unit(5)` for the common options of all unit configuration files. The common configuration items are configured in the generic \[Unit\] and \[Install\] sections. A separate \[Target\] section does not exist, since no target-specific options may be configured.

Target units do not offer any additional functionality on top of the generic functionality provided by units. They merely group units, allowing a single target name to be used in `Wants=` and `Requires=` settings to establish a dependency on a set of units defined by the target, and in `Before=` and `After=` settings to establish ordering. Targets establish standardized names for synchronization points during boot and shutdown. Importantly, see `systemd.special(7)` for examples and descriptions of standard systemd targets.

Target units provide a more flexible replacement for SysV runlevels in the classic SysV init system.

Note that a target unit file must not be empty, lest it be considered a masked unit. It is recommended to provide a \[Unit\] section which includes informative `Description=` and `Documentation=` options.

# Automatic Dependencies

## Implicit Dependencies

There are no implicit dependencies for target units.

## Default Dependencies

The following dependencies are added unless `DefaultDependencies=no` is set:

- Target units will automatically complement all configured dependencies of type `Wants=` or `Requires=` with dependencies of type `After=` unless `DefaultDependencies=no` is set in the specified units.

  Note that the reverse is not true. For example, defining `Wants=that.target` in `some.service` will not automatically add the `After=that.target` ordering dependency for `some.service`. Instead, `some.service` should use the primary synchronization function of target type units, by setting a specific `After=that.target` or `Before=that.target` ordering dependency in its .service unit file.

- Target units automatically gain `Conflicts=` and `Before=` dependencies against `shutdown.target`.

# Options

Target unit files may include \[Unit\] and \[Install\] sections, which are described in `systemd.unit(5)`. No options specific to this file type are supported.

# Example

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<div class="title">

Simple standalone target

</div>

    # emergency-net.target

    [Unit]
    Description=Emergency Mode with Networking
    Requires=emergency.target systemd-networkd.service
    After=emergency.target systemd-networkd.service
    AllowIsolate=yes

When adding dependencies to other units, it is important to check if they set `DefaultDependencies=`. Service units, unless they set `DefaultDependencies=no`, automatically get a dependency on `sysinit.target`. In this case, both `emergency.target` and `systemd-networkd.service` have `DefaultDependencies=no`, so they are suitable for use in this target, and do not pull in `sysinit.target`.

You can now switch into this emergency mode by running `systemctl isolate emergency-net.target` or by passing the option `systemd.unit=emergency-net.target` on the kernel command line.

Other units can have `WantedBy=emergency-net.target` in the `[Install]` section. After they are enabled using `systemctl enable`, they will be started before `emergency-net.target` is started. It is also possible to add arbitrary units as dependencies of `emergency.target` without modifying them by using `systemctl add-wants`.

</div>

# See Also

`systemd(1)`, `systemctl(1)`, `systemd.unit(5)`, `systemd.special(7)`, `systemd.directives(7)`