---
name: "systemd-stdio-bridge"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "systemd"
version: "262.1-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/systemd-stdio-bridge"
---

# systemd-stdio-bridge(1)

D-Bus proxy

## NAME

systemd-stdio-bridge - D-Bus proxy

## SYNOPSIS

**systemd-stdio-bridge** \[OPTIONS...\]

## DESCRIPTION

**systemd-stdio-bridge** implements a proxy between STDIN/STDOUT and a D-Bus bus. It expects to receive an open connection via STDIN/STDOUT when started, and will create a new connection to the specified bus. It will then forward messages between the two connections. This program is suitable for socket activation: the first connection may be a pipe or a socket and must be passed as either standard input, or as an open file descriptor according to the protocol described in [**sd\_listen\_fds**(3)](/sd_listen_fds/3.md). The second connection will be made by default to the local system bus, but this can be influenced by the **--user**, **--system**, **--machine=**, and **--bus-path=** options described below.

[**sd-bus**(3)](/sd-bus/3.md) uses **systemd-stdio-bridge** to forward D-Bus connections over [**ssh**(1)](/ssh/1.md), or to connect to the bus of a different user, see [**sd\_bus\_set\_address**(3)](/sd_bus_set_address/3.md).

## OPTIONS

The following options are understood:

- **--user**

  Talk to the service manager of the calling user, rather than the service manager of the system.

- **--system**

  Talk to the service manager of the system. This is the implied default.

**-M**, **--machine=**

Execute operation on a local container. Specify a container name to connect to, optionally prefixed by a user name to connect as and a separating "@" character. If the special string ".host" is used in place of the container name, a connection to the local system is made (which is useful to connect to a specific user's user bus: "--user --machine=lennart@.host"). If the "@" syntax is not used, the connection is made as root user. If the "@" syntax is used either the left hand side or the right hand side may be omitted (but not both) in which case the local user name and ".host" are implied.

- **-p** *PATH*, **--bus-path=***PATH*

  Path to the bus address. Default: "unix:path=/run/dbus/system\_bus\_socket"

  Added in version 251.

- **-q**, **--quiet**

  Suppresses error logging on failure.

  Added in version 259.

- **-h**, **--help**

  Print a short help text and exit.

- **--version**

  Print a short version string and exit.

## EXIT STATUS

On success, 0 is returned, a non-zero failure code otherwise.

## SEE ALSO

[**dbus-daemon**(1)](/dbus-daemon/1.md), [**dbus-broker**(1)](/dbus-broker/1.md), **D-Bus**\[1\], [**systemd**(1)](/systemd/1.md)

## NOTES

- 1\.

  D-Bus

  https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/dbus