Starting a systemd service via python

Question

Is there a way to start/restart a systemd service via python?

I know that I can make a system call - but then I also could write this in shell script...

from subprocess import call
call(["systemctl", "restart service"])

I heared systemd has some python binds, but as far as I saw it they only cover the journal

Am I? Well I want to talk with systemd as direct as possible. I don't want to exit the python enviroment and ask the system to do it for me, if there is a way to tap in more directly. Isn't there some kind of API, so I can talk to systemd? — Maximilian Kindshofer, Nov 11 '15 at 08:16
And I found [this project](https://github.com/systemd/python-systemd), is it helpful? — Remi Guan, Nov 11 '15 at 08:25
Theese are the binds for the journal - so python can write to the log. — Maximilian Kindshofer, Nov 11 '15 at 08:33
Systemd also has a [DBus API](https://wiki.freedesktop.org/www/Software/systemd/dbus/) — Cilyan, Nov 11 '15 at 08:35
Well I didn't know about DBus untill now - thanks. I think I was searching for this — Maximilian Kindshofer, Nov 11 '15 at 08:39
Maybe also there: https://github.com/wiliamsouza/python-systemd (requires a gobject main loop) — Cilyan, Nov 11 '15 at 08:56
Thats nice - he already made a python api for the dbus api :) - would you care to write an answer - So I could accept it? — Maximilian Kindshofer, Nov 11 '15 at 09:00

score 30 · Accepted Answer · edited Mar 01 '22 at 14:18

30

You can use systemd's DBus API to call the RestartUnit method of the Manager (need of sufficient privileges, else it won't work)

import dbus
sysbus = dbus.SystemBus()
systemd1 = sysbus.get_object('org.freedesktop.systemd1', '/org/freedesktop/systemd1')
manager = dbus.Interface(systemd1, 'org.freedesktop.systemd1.Manager')
job = manager.RestartUnit('sshd.service', 'fail')

edited Mar 01 '22 at 14:18

doekman

18,750
20
65
86

answered Nov 11 '15 at 09:20

Cilyan

7,883
1
29
37

I posted a similar follow-up question here: [Starting a users systemd service via python and dbus](https://stackoverflow.com/q/42088406/2851664). – sebix Feb 08 '17 at 07:33

Starting a systemd service via python

1 Answers1

Linked