Systemd OnFailure=: Limits on Silent Alerting for Service Failures in Arch Linux

Goal: Silent Failure Alerts

We want to receive actionable alerts for service failures without desktop pop‑ups in Arch Linux.

Constraints

• systemd OnFailure= only reacts to service unit failures.
• Alerts must be delivered via email or journal, not via notification daemons.
• Package‑related events are outside service scope.

Unresolved Decision

Arch Linux lacks clear guidance on whether to use OnFailure= or pacman hook scripts for non‑noisy alerts.

1. Does OnFailure= reliably trigger for all service failures, including those that exit immediately or fail during start?
2. What is the recommended configuration to send email or log alerts from OnFailure= without a desktop session?
3. For package installation failures, is a pacman hook or a dummy service with OnFailure= the preferable approach?