Unlocking the Future of User Management

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Embracing Modernity

In the ever-evolving landscape of Linux, Fedora stands out as a pioneer, continually embracing innovation while maintaining stability. One of the most significant advancements in recent releases is the introduction of systemd-homed. This feature aims to redefine how user home directories are managed. It brings a new level of efficiency and flexibility to the user experience. Let’s delve into what systemd-homed is, its benefits, and how it transforms the Fedora ecosystem.

What is systemd-homed?

At its core, systemd-homed is a component of the systemd suite that focuses on user home directory management. Traditional Linux systems treat user accounts and their associated data in a fairly static way with home directories typically stored in /home. In contrast, systemd-homed abstracts home directory management into a more dynamic and portable system.

systemd-homed allows user home directory storage in various formats and locations—whether on local disks, networked storage, or even in containers. This flexibility opens up new possibilities for user data management and enhances the user experience significantly.

Key Features and Benefits

1. Portable Home Directories

One of the standout features of systemd-homed is the ability to create portable home directories. Users can easily move their home directories across different machines without losing any settings or data. This is especially beneficial for those who frequently switch between Workstations or Atomic desktops.

2. Secure and Encrypted by Default

Security is paramount in today’s digital age. Encryption is an integral part of the user home directory in systemd-homed. Each home directory can be encrypted using LUKS (Linux Unified Key Setup). This ensures that sensitive data remains protected, regardless of where it resides.

3. Easier User Management

System administrators will appreciate the simplified user management that comes with systemd-homed. The homectl command allows easy creation, modification, and deletion of user accounts. Administrative tasks are streamlined and the complexity often associated with traditional user management methods is reduced.

4. Dynamic User Sessions

systemd-homed introduces a new way to handle user sessions. With dynamic user sessions, the system can create a tailored environment based on the user’s specific needs and configurations. This adaptability ensures that users always have a consistent and optimized experience, regardless of the machine they log into.

Integration with Fedora

Fedora, known for its cutting-edge technology, has seamlessly integrated systemd-homed into its architecture. Starting with Fedora 41, administrators can easily take advantage of this feature to create users with personalized configurations. The homectl command provides a user-friendly interface for managing home directories, making it accessible even for less experienced users.

Getting Started with systemd-homed in Fedora

To take advantage of systemd-homed, users can begin by enabling it during the installation process or convert existing accounts afterward. The process is straightforward:

  1. Install Fedora 41: Start with a fresh installation or an upgrade to the latest version.
  2. Enable systemd-homed service: Use systemctl to enable the systemd-homed service.
  3. Enable systemd-home PAM: Use authselect to enable the systemd-homed feature.
  4. Manage Home Directories: Utilize homectl to create and manage home directories effortlessly.

For example, to create a new user in a systemd-homed manged home directory, use the following simple command:


sudo homectl create myuser --disk-size=10G

This command not only creates the user but also allocates disk space for their home directory.

Conclusion

As Fedora continues to lead the way in Linux innovation, the integration of systemd-homed marks a significant step toward modernizing user management. Its features not only enhance security and portability but also simplify the overall user experience. For those looking to embrace the future of Linux, Fedora with systemd-homed is an excellent choice, blending cutting-edge technology with the reliability that users have come to expect.

Whether you’re a seasoned sysadmin or a casual user, diving into systemd-homed can redefine how you interact with your Linux environment. Embrace the change and discover the possibilities that await in the world of Fedora!

Fedora Project community

22 Comments

  1. AB

    This needs correction:

    “Users can easily move their home directories across different machines without losing any settings or data.”

    It should say instead:
    “Users can easily move their home directories together with homed keys across different machines without losing any settings or data.”

    If user moves only homed-managed home file/directory/disk and then formats source machine – homed keys are lost and homed on the target machine will not be able to work with migrated homed-managed home.

    • It can do a lot more then just that. I can write a whole article on just the user records/keys, didn’t add them here because there is too much information for one article.

      • AB

        Please, do article series on homed. I think we need more users getting into homed managed home dirs.

  2. This suspiciously looks like written by ChatGPT: “embrace”, “ever-evolving landscape”, “”Let’s delve into”, etc.

    I would prefer reading articles, written by humans, who know what they are talking about.

    • venicones

      A command of the English vocabulary and writing style is not clear evidence of AI.

    • This article was AI enhanced with word suggestions to sound more attractive, but I can a sure you that your questions, which lack clarity, can be answered in an educated manner.

      • ResponsableNetizen

        I think people are cautious that Fedora Magazine DOESN’T fall down the slippery slope of auto-generated content to maximize probable user engagement on certain topics!

        Like everyone else is doing nowadays 😉

  3. Daiquiri Melao

    this is awesome!
    Thank you for pushing it!

  4. Lariscus

    Does this also work for Fedora Atomic Desktop installations?

  5. BurningPho3nix

    How to enable systemd-homed pam through authselect?

  6. Daniele Guarascio

    Could you please add instructions to migrate existing users?

  7. Mike

    This is a good article but it is made a lot less enjoyable by the use of a LLM. It feels very generic and overly marketing-y. The information presented about systemd-homed is useful but is then drowned out by the ChatGPT style language. Thank you for writing this article but i think it would have been better in your original version before asking a LLM for feedback.

  8. Kostas Sfakiotakis

    Is it possible to give us an example ??? . Tried following the instructions but am failing on step 3
    Enable systemd-home PAM
    When I try it I get : kostassf@Orion:~$ systemctl enable systemd-home
    Failed to enable unit: Unit systemd-home.service does not exist
    kostassf@Orion:~$ systemctl enable systemd-home PAM
    Failed to enable unit: Unit systemd-home.service does not exist

    What am I missing here ??

    • systemd-homed.service should already be enabled by default.

      systemd-home PAM is not enabled by default, to enable enter:
      sudo authselect enable-feature with-systemd-homed

  9. Luca Cavana

    I’m not a native English speaker and as such I wasn’t able to spot the use of LLMs to co-write the article… but it’s not certainly good to read.

    Also, it gives not many useful information at all. I guess most of the readers are technical guys wanting more articulated details, and this article (as many others I should say) just sound as marketing and diminishes the value of the Fedora magazine and project overall.

  10. Charles B.

    Hello,

    Thank you for your contribution. It is not clear to me how this interacts with the installer. At what time should the sudo authselect enable-feature with-systemd-homed be invoked? How does this impact the user created in the installer? Should I still create a /home directory under the / root partition? Did 41 changed something so all the steps in this (https://discussion.fedoraproject.org/t/building-a-new-home-with-systemd-homed-on-fedora/72690) post are no longer necessary?

    Thanks,

    Charles B.

  11. Kostas Sfakiotakis

    Still struggling to make things work .

    sudo authselect enable-feature with-systemd-homed
    [sudo] password for kostassf:
    Make sure that SSSD service is configured and enabled. See SSSD documentation for more information.

    with-systemd-homed is selected, make sure that the system-homed service is enabled

    systemctl enable –now systemd-homed.service

    kostassf@Orion:~$ systemctl status system-homed
    Unit system-homed.service could not be found.
    kostassf@Orion:~$ systemctl status systemd-homed
    ● systemd-homed.service – Home Area Manager
    Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/systemd-homed.service; enabled; preset: enabled)
    Drop-In: /usr/lib/systemd/system/service.d
    └─10-timeout-abort.conf
    Active: active (running) since Wed 2024-11-13 19:28:33 EET; 2min 6s ago
    Invocation: 81e981cddd154547a1d42b4d403ca418
    Docs: man:systemd-homed.service(8)
    man:org.freedesktop.home1(5)
    Main PID: 1457 (systemd-homed)
    Tasks: 1 (limit: 19016)
    Memory: 1.7M (peak: 3.5M)
    CPU: 60ms
    CGroup: /system.slice/systemd-homed.service
    └─1457 /usr/lib/systemd/systemd-homed

    Νοε 13 19:28:33 Orion.Andromeda.Galaxy.local systemd[1]: Starting systemd-homed.service – Home Area Manager…
    Νοε 13 19:28:33 Orion.Andromeda.Galaxy.local systemd-homed[1457]: Watching /home.
    Νοε 13 19:28:33 Orion.Andromeda.Galaxy.local systemd[1]: Started systemd-homed.service – Home Area Manager.

    from the looks of it , since am a bit out of my league , can someone tell me in plain English what am I still missing ??

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