NETCTL.SPECIAL(7)

NAME
netctl.special - Special netctl systemd units

SYNOPSIS

netctl.service, netctl-auto.service, netctl-ifplugd.service

DESCRIPTION

Bundled with netctl come a few systemd units that are not controlled through the netctl command. They can be used through the systemctl utility of systemd.

SPECIAL UNITS

netctl.service
    When started, this unit tries to start the profiles that were running when the unit was last stopped. In some cases, the interface a profile binds to might not be available yet, when netctl.service tries to bring a profile up. A simple, hackish, solution is to do:

    echo "[[ -t 0 ]] || sleep 3" > /etc/netctl/interfaces/<interface>
    chmod 755 /etc/netctl/interfaces/<interface>

    A more concise solution is to first enable a profile through netctl
    and then disable it again through systemctl:

    netctl enable <profile>
    systemctl disable netctl@<profile>

    This way the unit configuration file for the profile remains in
    existence, while the profile is not enabled.

netctl-auto@<interface>.service
    This unit issues a scan on the interface it is used for and tries to start a profile for a network it finds. It is targeted to wireless interfaces.

netctl-ifplugd@<interface>.service
    This unit starts ifplugd on the interface it is used for. It will try to start a netctl profile whenever a cable is plugged into the interface and stop the profile when the cable is unplugged. Note that this unit does not provide network.target.

SEE ALSO

netctl(1), netctl.profile(5)