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+---
+title: systemd Repository Architecture
+category: Contributing
+layout: default
+SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-2.1-or-later
+---
+
+# The systemd Repository Architecture
+
+## Code Map
+
+This document provides a high-level overview of the various components of the
+systemd repository.
+
+## Source Code
+
+Directories in `src/` provide the implementation of all daemons, libraries and
+command-line tools shipped by the project. There are many, and more are
+constantly added, so we will not enumerate them all here — the directory
+names are self-explanatory.
+
+### Shared Code
+
+The code that is shared between components is split into a few directories,
+each with a different purpose:
+
+- `src/basic/` and `src/fundamental/` — those directories contain code
+ primitives that are used by all other code. `src/fundamental/` is stricter,
+ because it used for EFI and user-space code, while `src/basic/` is only used
+ for user-space code. The code in `src/fundamental/` cannot depend on any
+ other code in the tree, and `src/basic/` can depend only on itself and
+ `src/fundamental/`. For user-space, a static library is built from this code
+ and linked statically in various places.
+
+- `src/libsystemd/` implements the `libsystemd.so` shared library (also
+ available as static `libsystemd.a`). This code may use anything in
+ `src/basic/` or `src/fundamental/`.
+
+- `src/shared/` provides various utilities and code shared between other
+ components that is exposed as the `libsystemd-shared-<nnn>.so` shared library.
+
+The other subdirectories implement individual components. They may depend only
+on `src/fundamental/` + `src/basic/`, or also on `src/libsystemd/`, or also on
+`src/shared/`.
+
+You might wonder what kind of code belongs where. In general, the rule is that
+code should linked as few times as possible, ideally only once. Thus code that
+is used by "higher-level" components (e.g. our binaries which are linked to
+`libsystemd-shared-<nnn>.so`), would go to a subdirectory specific to that
+component if it is only used there. If the code is to be shared between
+components, it'd go to `src/shared/`. Shared code that that is used by multiple
+components that do not link to `libsystemd-shared-<nnn>.so` may live either in
+`src/libsystemd/`, `src/basic/`, or `src/fundamental/`. Any code that is used
+only for EFI goes under `src/boot/efi/`, and `src/fundamental/` if is shared
+with non-EFI compoenents.
+
+To summarize:
+
+`src/fundamental/`
+- may be used by all code in the tree
+- may not use any code outside of `src/fundamental/`
+
+`src/basic/`
+- may be used by all code in the tree
+- may not use any code outside of `src/fundamental/` and `src/basic/`
+
+`src/libsystemd/`
+- may be used by all code in the tree that links to `libsystem.so`
+- may not use any code outside of `src/fundamental/`, `src/basic/`, and
+ `src/libsystemd/`
+
+`src/shared/`
+- may be used by all code in the tree, except for code in `src/basic/`,
+ `src/libsystemd/`, `src/nss-*`, `src/login/pam_systemd.*`, and files under
+ `src/journal/` that end up in `libjournal-client.a` convenience library.
+- may not use any code outside of `src/fundamental/`, `src/basic/`,
+ `src/libsystemd/`, `src/shared/`
+
+### PID 1
+
+Code located in `src/core/` implements the main logic of the systemd system (and user)
+service manager.
+
+BPF helpers written in C and used by PID 1 can be found under `src/core/bpf/`.
+
+#### Implementing Unit Settings
+
+The system and session manager supports a large number of unit settings. These can generally
+be configured in three ways:
+
+1. Via textual, INI-style configuration files called *unit* *files*
+2. Via D-Bus messages to the manager
+3. Via the `systemd-run` and `systemctl set-property` commands
+
+From a user's perspective, the third is a wrapper for the second. To implement a new unit
+setting, it is necessary to support all three input methods:
+
+1. *unit* *files* are parsed in `src/core/load-fragment.c`, with many simple and fixed-type
+unit settings being parsed by common helpers, with the definition in the generator file
+`src/core/load-fragment-gperf.gperf.in`
+2. D-Bus messages are defined and parsed in `src/core/dbus-*.c`
+3. `systemd-run` and `systemctl set-property` do client-side parsing and translating into
+D-Bus messages in `src/shared/bus-unit-util.c`
+
+So that they are exercised by the fuzzing CI, new unit settings should also be listed in the
+text files under `test/fuzz/fuzz-unit-file/`.
+
+### systemd-udev
+
+Sources for the udev daemon and command-line tool (single binary) can be found under
+`src/udev/`.
+
+### Unit Tests
+
+Source files found under `src/test/` implement unit-level testing, mostly for
+modules found in `src/basic/` and `src/shared/`, but not exclusively. Each test
+file is compiled in a standalone binary that can be run to exercise the
+corresponding module. While most of the tests can be run by any user, some
+require privileges, and will attempt to clearly log about what they need
+(mostly in the form of effective capabilities). These tests are self-contained,
+and generally safe to run on the host without side effects.
+
+Ideally, every module in `src/basic/` and `src/shared/` should have a
+corresponding unit test under `src/test/`, exercising every helper function.
+
+### Fuzzing
+
+Fuzzers are a type of unit tests that execute code on an externally-supplied
+input sample. Fuzzers are called `fuzz-*`. Fuzzers for `src/basic/` and
+`src/shared` live under `src/fuzz/`, and those for other parts of the codebase
+should be located next to the code they test.
+
+Files under `test/fuzz/` contain input data for fuzzers, one subdirectory for
+each fuzzer. Some of the files are "seed corpora", i.e. files that contain
+lists of settings and input values intended to generate initial coverage, and
+other files are samples saved by the fuzzing engines when they find an issue.
+
+When adding new input samples under `test/fuzz/*/`, please use some
+short-but-meaningful names. Names of meson tests include the input file name
+and output looks awkward if they are too long.
+
+Fuzzers are invoked primarily in three ways: firstly, each fuzzer is compiled
+as a normal executable and executed for each of the input samples under
+`test/fuzz/` as part of the test suite. Secondly, fuzzers may be instrumented
+with sanitizers and invoked as part of the test suite (if `-Dfuzz-tests=true`
+is configured). Thirdly, fuzzers are executed through fuzzing engines that try
+to find new "interesting" inputs through coverage feedback and massive
+parallelization; see the links for oss-fuzz in [Code quality](CODE_QUALITY.md).
+For testing and debugging, fuzzers can be executed as any other program,
+including under `valgrind` or `gdb`.
+
+## Integration Tests
+
+Sources in `test/TEST-*` implement system-level testing for executables,
+libraries and daemons that are shipped by the project. They require privileges
+to run, and are not safe to execute directly on a host. By default they will
+build an image and run the test under it via `qemu` or `systemd-nspawn`.
+
+Most of those tests should be able to run via `systemd-nspawn`, which is
+orders-of-magnitude faster than `qemu`, but some tests require privileged
+operations like using `dm-crypt` or `loopdev`. They are clearly marked if that
+is the case.
+
+See `test/README.testsuite` for more specific details.
+
+## hwdb
+
+Rules built in the static hardware database shipped by the project can be found
+under `hwdb.d/`. Some of these files are updated automatically, some are filled
+by contributors.
+
+## Documentation
+
+### systemd.io
+
+Markdown files found under `docs/` are automatically published on the
+[systemd.io](https://systemd.io) website using Github Pages. A minimal unit test
+to ensure the formatting doesn't have errors is included in the
+`meson test -C build/ github-pages` run as part of the CI.
+
+### Man pages
+
+Manpages for binaries and libraries, and the DBUS interfaces, can be found under
+`man/` and should ideally be kept in sync with changes to the corresponding
+binaries and libraries.
+
+### Translations
+
+Translations files for binaries and daemons, provided by volunteers, can be found
+under `po/` in the usual format. They are kept up to date by contributors and by
+automated tools.
+
+## System Configuration files and presets
+
+Presets (or templates from which they are generated) for various daemons and tools
+can be found under various directories such as `factory/`, `modprobe.d/`, `network/`,
+`presets/`, `rules.d/`, `shell-completion/`, `sysctl.d/`, `sysusers.d/`, `tmpfiles.d/`.
+
+## Utilities for Developers
+
+`tools/`, `coccinelle/`, `.github/`, `.semaphore/`, `.mkosi/` host various
+utilities and scripts that are used by maintainers and developers. They are not
+shipped or installed.