systemctl-bind

Bind-mount a host path into the same location inside the unit

$ systemctl bind [unit] /[path/to/host_directory]

$ systemctl bind [unit] /[path/to/host_directory] /[path/to/unit_directory]

$ systemctl bind [unit] /[path/to/host_directory] --read-only

$ systemctl bind [unit] /[path/to/host_directory] /[path/to/unit_directory] --mkdir

systemctl-bind <command> [OPTIONS] <UNIT_NAME> [ARGS]
Example: systemctl-bind create socket --port 8080 --service myapp --enable --now

command
    Specifies the action to perform.
Possible values:
create: Create a new binding configuration.
remove: Remove an existing binding configuration.
list: List active or configured bindings.

UNIT_NAME
    The base name for the systemd unit (e.g., myapp will hypothetically create myapp.socket and myapp.service).

--type <socket|mount>
    Specify the type of binding to manage. Defaults to socket.

--port <number>
    For socket units, specifies the TCP/UDP port to bind.

--address <IP_address>
    For socket units, specifies the IP address to bind to. Defaults to all available interfaces.

--path <file_path>
    For socket units, specifies a Unix domain socket path; for mount, specifies the target mount point.

--service <service_name>
    Specifies the associated service unit name that the socket should activate. If not provided, defaults to UNIT_NAME.service.

--exec-start <command>
    For service units, the command to execute when the service starts.

--user <username>
    Run the associated service under this user.

--group <groupname>
    Run the associated service under this group.

--enable
    Enable the generated systemd unit(s) to start on boot.

--now
    Start the generated systemd unit(s) immediately after creation/enabling.

--force
    Force overwrite existing units when creating.

systemctl-bind is a hypothetical command designed to simplify the configuration and management of systemd units related to 'binding' resources. Its primary purpose would be to abstract the complexity of creating and managing socket units (.socket) for network activation, allowing services to be started on demand when a connection arrives on a specific port or Unix socket. It could also potentially facilitate the creation of bind mounts for specific services or environments. This command would aim to streamline the process of linking services to network interfaces, file paths, or other resources, enabling users to quickly set up services that leverage systemd's advanced activation features without directly editing complex unit files. It would likely interact with systemctl to enable, start, or stop the generated units.

This command, systemctl-bind, is not a standard utility found in typical Linux distributions. The information provided is based on an interpretation of its name and a hypothetical design for such a tool. Its actual existence and functionality would depend on a specific custom implementation or a third-party project. Users should not expect to find this command pre-installed on their systems.

Socket activation is a core systemd feature that allows services to be started only when a connection arrives on a specific network socket or FIFO. systemctl-bind would aim to simplify the creation of the necessary .socket unit (which listens for connections) and .service unit (which starts the actual application) and link them together, providing a resource-efficient way to run services. The socket unit would bind to the port/path, and systemd would pass the open file descriptor to the service when it starts.

While primarily focused on sockets, a systemctl-bind utility could also theoretically manage bind mounts. A bind mount allows a directory or file to be mounted on a different location in the file system, effectively making it accessible from two places. This can be useful for chroot environments, sharing configuration across containers, or isolating parts of the file system. If implemented, systemctl-bind could help automate the creation of systemd mount units (.mount) for such purposes.

As a hypothetical command, systemctl-bind has no official history. If it were to exist, its development would likely stem from a desire to simplify common systemd configuration patterns, similar to how other wrapper scripts or higher-level tools are developed to make complex systemd features more accessible to developers or system administrators, abstracting away the direct manipulation of .socket and .service unit files. It would likely be a community-driven script or part of a larger application framework that integrates tightly with systemd.

systemctl(1), systemd.socket(5), systemd.service(5), ip(8), ss(8), netstat(8)