---
name: "runit"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "runit"
version: "2.2.0-3"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/runit"
---

# runit(8)

a UNIX process no 1

## NAME

runit - a UNIX process no 1

## SYNOPSIS

**runit**

## DESCRIPTION

**runit** must be run as Unix process no 1. It performs the system's booting, running, and shutdown in three stages:

## STAGE 1

**runit** runs */etc/runit/1* and waits for it to terminate. The system's one time tasks are done here. */etc/runit/1* has full control of */dev/console* to be able to start an emergency shell if the one time initialization tasks fail. If */etc/runit/1* crashes, or exits 100, **runit** will skip stage 2 and enter stage 3.

## STAGE 2

**runit** runs */etc/runit/2*, which should not return until system shutdown; if it crashes, or exits 111, it will be restarted. Normally */etc/runit/2* starts [**runsvdir**(8)](/runsvdir/8.md). **runit** is able to handle the ctrl-alt-del keyboard request in stage 2, see below.

## STAGE 3

If **runit** is told to shutdown the system, or stage 2 returns, it terminates stage 2 if it is running, and runs */etc/runit/3*. The systems tasks to shutdown and possibly halt or reboot the system are done here. If stage 3 returns, **runit** checks if the file */etc/runit/reboot* exists and has the execute by owner permission set. If so, the system is rebooted, it's halted otherwise. If */etc/runit/nosync* exists, **runit** doesn't invoke sync(). This is useful in vservers.

## CTRL-ALT-DEL

If **runit** receives the ctrl-alt-del keyboard request and the file */etc/runit/ctrlaltdel* exists and has the execute by owner permission set, **runit** runs */etc/runit/ctrlaltdel*, waits for it to terminate, and then sends itself a CONT signal.

## SIGNALS

**runit** only accepts signals in stage 2.

If **runit** receives a CONT signal and the file */etc/runit/stopit* exists and has the execute by owner permission set, **runit** is told to shutdown the system.

If **runit** receives a PWR signal, **runit** is told to shutdown the system.

if **runit** receives an INT signal, a ctrl-alt-del keyboard request is triggered.

## ENVIRONMENT

When the *runitdir=name* variable is set and **runit** is init, **runit** will check if a directory named *name* exists in */etc/runit/runsvdir/* and then will use **runsvchdir** to change the directory of **runsvdir** to *name* in place of the default.

If *runitdir* is set to *runitdir=solo* **runit** will use the *solo* directory for **runsvdir** and it will also refrain from start any sysv service that is enabled in */etc/rc2.d/* This is intended for use with containers that need to start only some selected services.

## SEE ALSO

[runit-init(8)](/runit-init/8.md), [runsvdir(8)](/runsvdir/8.md), [runsvchdir(8)](/runsvchdir/8.md), [sv(8)](/sv/8.md), [runsv(8)](/runsv/8.md), [chpst(8)](/chpst/8.md), [utmpset(8)](/utmpset/8.md), [svlogd(8)](/svlogd/8.md)

http://smarden.org/runit/

## AUTHOR

Gerrit Pape \<pape@smarden.org\>