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systemd-tmpfiles applies rules defined in tmpfiles.d to create, adjust, clean, or remove filesystem paths. To use it safely, first inspect the effective configuration, choose the operation that matches your goal, and preview risky changes where the installed systemd version supports it.
What systemd-tmpfiles does
systemd-tmpfiles is the command-line utility; tmpfiles.d is the configuration format and set of locations from which it reads rules. The official systemd-tmpfiles manual describes it as a tool that “creates, deletes, and cleans up files and directories.” Although it was designed for volatile and temporary files, its rules can manage other filesystem paths too.
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That distinction matters: running the command does not itself specify which paths to manage. The rules determine the target paths and actions, while the command-line operation determines which kinds of rules to apply. For exact rule syntax and configuration locations, consult the tmpfiles.d(5) manual installed on the machine you are administering; syntax and available options can vary by systemd release.
Choose the operation that matches your goal
| Operation | What it does | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
--create |
Applies creation, writing, ownership, mode, and security-label actions specified by applicable rules. | Setting up or correcting configured paths and their attributes. |
--clean |
Processes entries with configured age limits. | Applying age-based cleanup rules. |
--remove |
Applies configured removal actions. | Removing paths or directory contents designated by rules. |
--purge |
Targets entries marked with $ in explicitly specified configuration files. |
Only when you specifically need that behavior and have reviewed the targets. |
When --create, --clean, and --remove are combined, removal and cleanup run before creation. For example, the manual gives systemd-tmpfiles --remove --create as a boot-time setup invocation. Do not assume that combining options makes a command safer: the selected rules and target paths still determine the effects.
Inspect configuration before applying it
Start by finding out which rules the command can see. On versions that support these options, use:
systemd-tmpfiles --cat-configto display configuration contents along with file names.systemd-tmpfiles --tldrto display configuration without comments and blank lines.
These views help identify the rules behind an operation, but they do not replace checking their syntax against the target machine’s tmpfiles.d(5) documentation. A rule accepted by one installation may not be accepted by another, so validate the syntax and supported features on the host where it will run.
Understand system and user scope
The system instance and user instances read separate configuration. The --user option selects user configuration; it was added in systemd version 236 according to the manual. Check the installed version before relying on it.
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Preview before cleanup or removal
Where supported, --dry-run prints the operations that would be performed without changing the filesystem. The manual says --dry-run was added in systemd version 256, so verify availability on older or distribution-specific installations before using it as a safety check.
Be especially cautious with --purge. It requires explicitly named configuration files or standard input, operates on entries marked with $, and the manual warns that --remove is usually the command administrators want instead. The manual recommends previewing a purge first. --purge was also added in version 256.
Apply changes at the appropriate time
For runtime-safe changes
For changes that are safe to apply while the system is running, restart systemd-tmpfiles-clean.service to reapply its settings. Avoid treating this as a substitute for understanding the rules: inspect the configuration and confirm that its cleanup effects are appropriate before restarting the service.
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Rules prefixed with ! are intended for work that is unsafe on an already-running system. They are enabled with --boot, an option added in systemd version 209 according to the manual. Do not use early-boot rules as a way to force a runtime operation; their timing is part of their safety design.
Check errors and interpret the result
Review both the command’s messages and its exit status. The manual distinguishes several outcomes:
65: configuration was syntactically invalid and lines had to be ignored, with no other errors occurring.73: configuration was valid, but it could not be executed.1: another failure occurred.
Not every mismatch is necessarily fatal: the manual notes that certain target mismatches without forced operation can produce a message and otherwise be ignored. When troubleshooting, use increased logging on a direct invocation and read the messages in context rather than assuming that every warning means the entire operation failed.
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