SYSTEMD-FACTORY-RESET(8)

💖 SYSTEMD-FACTORY-RESET 💖

okay bestie, gather round, because we're talking about systemd-factory-reset — plus its little entourage of units: systemd-factory-reset-request.service, systemd-factory-reset-complete.service, systemd-factory-reset.socket, and systemd-factory-reset@.service. Together they're the ones who request a factory reset, complete a factory reset, or just tell you what the current factory reset mode is. no cap. 🎀

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

/usr/lib/systemd/systemd-factory-reset

systemd-factory-reset-request.service

systemd-factory-reset-complete.service

systemd-factory-reset.socket

systemd-factory-reset@.service

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🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

systemd-factory-reset is the tool that can query the current factory reset state, request factory reset operations, or complete them. it's giving triple threat, honestly. 💅

some of that functionality is also available through the /run/systemd/io.systemd.FactoryReset Varlink service — which is implemented via the systemd-factory-reset.socket / systemd-factory-reset@.service units. iykyk. ✨

and if you want the big-picture lore on how the factory reset logic works, go read Factory Reset[1]. 🦋

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🫶 COMMANDS 🫶

the /usr/lib/systemd/systemd-factory-reset executable can also be invoked straight from the command line, and it takes one of these command arguments:

• status — report the current factory reset state. it reports one of these:
  • "unsupported" — the OS doesn't support factory reset logic at all, rip
  • "unspecified" — no factory reset was requested, but it wasn't explicitly turned off either
  • "off" — the factory reset logic was explicitly turned off via the kernel command line option
  • "on" — the factory reset is currently enabled and executed
  • "complete" — the factory reset logic ran during the current boot but is complete now
  • "pending" — a factory reset has been requested for the next boot

it returns with an exit status of 0 if the factory reset mechanism is currently not in effect, 10 if a factory reset is currently being executed, or 11 if it's pending for the next boot.

Added in version 258.

• request — ask for a factory reset operation to be executed on the next boot.

ngl bestie, this is a pretty low-level operation. the primary interface for requesting a factory reset is by starting the factory-reset.target unit. 👑

this sets the FactoryResetRequest EFI variable, see below.

this operation runs when the systemd-factory-reset-request.service unit is started — which is typically one of the services hooked into and ordered before factory-reset.target.

Added in version 258.

• cancel — cancel any previously requested (but not yet executed) factory reset operation. 🚫

Added in version 258.

• complete — mark an ongoing factory reset operation as complete. ✅

this operation runs when the systemd-factory-reset-complete.service unit is started — which is typically one of the services hooked into and ordered after factory-reset-now.target.

Added in version 258.

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💅 OPTIONS 💅

here's everything it understands, bestie:

• --retrigger — when used with the complete command, it retriggers all block devices. why? because that might result in auto-discovered devices being usable that previously weren't, since the factory reset logic was in place. 🔥

Added in version 258.

• --quiet, -q — suppresses the state output of status, but still sets the exit status as documented. so it's the strong silent type. 🤫

Added in version 258.

• -h, --help — print a short help text and exit. classic. 🎀
• --version — print a short version string and exit. also classic. ✨

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🌈 EFI VARIABLES 🌈

this next bit is the gossip channel between this boot and the next boot, fr fr. the following EFI variable is set and read by systemd-factory-reset, under the vendor UUID "8cf2644b-4b0b-428f-9387-6d876050dc67":

• FactoryResetRequest — set whenever a factory reset is requested from the next boot, and deleted once the factory reset is complete. it contains JSON data describing the requesting OS, so that multi-boot systems don't get confused about who asked for what. 💀

Added in version 258.

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🦋 SEE ALSO 🦋

systemd(1), systemd-factory-reset-generator(8), systemd.special(7), Factory Reset[1]

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🧚 NOTES 🧚

1. Factory Reset https://systemd.io/FACTORY_RESET

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and that's the whole page, bestie!! 🥳 this was SYSTEMD-FACTORY-RESET(8) from systemd 262.1 — go off and factory-reset responsibly, mwah 💖✨👑