1<?xml version="1.0"?>
2<!--*-nxml-*-->
3<!DOCTYPE refentry PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook XML V4.5//EN"
4  "http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/4.2/docbookx.dtd">
5<!-- SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-2.1-or-later -->
6<refentry id="systemd-volatile-root.service">
7
8  <refentryinfo>
9    <title>systemd-volatile-root.service</title>
10    <productname>systemd</productname>
11  </refentryinfo>
12
13  <refmeta>
14    <refentrytitle>systemd-volatile-root.service</refentrytitle>
15    <manvolnum>8</manvolnum>
16  </refmeta>
17
18  <refnamediv>
19    <refname>systemd-volatile-root.service</refname>
20    <refname>systemd-volatile-root</refname>
21    <refpurpose>Make the root file system volatile</refpurpose>
22  </refnamediv>
23
24  <refsynopsisdiv>
25    <para><filename>systemd-volatile-root.service</filename></para>
26    <para><filename>/usr/lib/systemd/systemd-volatile-root</filename></para>
27  </refsynopsisdiv>
28
29  <refsect1>
30    <title>Description</title>
31
32    <para><filename>systemd-volatile-root.service</filename> is a service that replaces the root directory with a
33    volatile memory file system (<literal>tmpfs</literal>), mounting the original (non-volatile)
34    <filename>/usr/</filename> inside it read-only. This way, vendor data from <filename>/usr/</filename> is available as
35    usual, but all configuration data in <filename>/etc/</filename>, all state data in <filename>/var/</filename> and all
36    other resources stored directly under the root directory are reset on boot and lost at shutdown, enabling fully
37    stateless systems.</para>
38
39    <para>This service is only enabled if full volatile mode is selected, for example by specifying
40    <literal>systemd.volatile=yes</literal> on the kernel command line. This service runs only in the initial RAM disk
41    ("initrd"), before the system transitions to the host's root directory. Note that this service is not used if
42    <literal>systemd.volatile=state</literal> is used, as in that mode the root directory is non-volatile.</para>
43  </refsect1>
44
45  <refsect1>
46    <title>See Also</title>
47    <para>
48      <citerefentry><refentrytitle>systemd</refentrytitle><manvolnum>1</manvolnum></citerefentry>,
49      <citerefentry><refentrytitle>systemd-fstab-generator</refentrytitle><manvolnum>8</manvolnum></citerefentry>,
50      <citerefentry><refentrytitle>kernel-command-line</refentrytitle><manvolnum>7</manvolnum></citerefentry>
51    </para>
52  </refsect1>
53
54</refentry>
55