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  This file is part of systemd.

  Copyright 2010 Lennart Poettering

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<refentry id="systemd.target">
  <refentryinfo>
    <title>systemd.target</title>
    <productname>systemd</productname>

    <authorgroup>
      <author>
        <contrib>Developer</contrib>
        <firstname>Lennart</firstname>
        <surname>Poettering</surname>
        <email>lennart@poettering.net</email>
      </author>
    </authorgroup>
  </refentryinfo>

  <refmeta>
    <refentrytitle>systemd.target</refentrytitle>
    <manvolnum>5</manvolnum>
  </refmeta>

  <refnamediv>
    <refname>systemd.target</refname>
    <refpurpose>Target unit configuration</refpurpose>
  </refnamediv>

  <refsynopsisdiv>
    <para><filename><replaceable>target</replaceable>.target</filename></para>
  </refsynopsisdiv>

  <refsect1>
    <title>Description</title>

    <para>A unit configuration file whose name ends in
    <literal>.target</literal> encodes information about a target unit
    of systemd, which is used for grouping units and as well-known
    synchronization points during start-up.</para>

    <para>This unit type has no specific options. See
    <citerefentry><refentrytitle>systemd.unit</refentrytitle><manvolnum>5</manvolnum></citerefentry>
    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.</para>

    <para>Target units do not offer any additional functionality on
    top of the generic functionality provided by units. They exist
    merely to group units via dependencies (useful as boot targets),
    and to establish standardized names for synchronization points
    used in dependencies between units. Among other things, target
    units are a more flexible replacement for SysV runlevels in the
    classic SysV init system. (And for compatibility reasons special
    target units such as <filename>runlevel3.target</filename> exist
    which are used by the SysV runlevel compatibility code in systemd.
    See
    <citerefentry><refentrytitle>systemd.special</refentrytitle><manvolnum>7</manvolnum></citerefentry>
    for details).</para>

    <para>Unless <varname>DefaultDependencies=</varname> is set to
    <option>false</option>, target units will implicitly complement
    all configured dependencies of type <varname>Wants=</varname>,
    <varname>Requires=</varname>,
    <varname>RequiresOverridable=</varname> with dependencies of type
    <varname>After=</varname> if the units in question also have
    <varname>DefaultDependencies=true</varname>.
    </para>
  </refsect1>

  <refsect1>
      <title>See Also</title>
      <para>
        <citerefentry><refentrytitle>systemd</refentrytitle><manvolnum>1</manvolnum></citerefentry>,
        <citerefentry><refentrytitle>systemctl</refentrytitle><manvolnum>1</manvolnum></citerefentry>,
        <citerefentry><refentrytitle>systemd.unit</refentrytitle><manvolnum>5</manvolnum></citerefentry>,
        <citerefentry><refentrytitle>systemd.special</refentrytitle><manvolnum>7</manvolnum></citerefentry>,
        <citerefentry><refentrytitle>systemd.directives</refentrytitle><manvolnum>7</manvolnum></citerefentry>
      </para>
  </refsect1>

</refentry>
