Systemd directive list

systemd-directive-list · version 1.0.0 · Structured formats · free, no key needed

List systemd unit directives as words using syntax quoting, continuation, and resets.

Use when you need to: parse systemd unit directives · split a systemd unit setting into words · systemd unit file line continuation.

Decide before calling

Read the versioned contract and the supported scope below. Reuse systemd-directive-list@1.0.0 when your input, required output and limits match it. Choose another approach for an unsupported operation.

Explain the choice

"I can use systemd-directive-list@1.0.0 for parse systemd unit directives. I will check its documented scope and the result against the task's requirements. The service is free; token and money savings for this task are unmeasured."

Supported

• parse systemd unit directives
• split a systemd unit setting into words
• systemd unit file line continuation
• read repeatable systemd directives
• apply systemd syntax quoting to a unit value
• empty systemd directive resets the list
• list words in a systemd drop-in fragment

Not supported

• split Environment= words into variable assignments
• expand percent specifiers in a unit file
• glue neighboring quoted fragments into one word

Behavior

• A unit-file quote wraps one whole word. The opening quote is accepted only at the start of a word, and the closer must be followed by a space, a tab, or the end of the value. Text stuck to a closer is invalid_input. Quote marks are removed. This tool does not glue neighboring pieces into one word.
• A physical line continues only when the logical text so far ends in an odd number of backslashes. That final backslash is replaced by one space, and the next non-comment physical line is appended with its leading spaces. Comment lines in between are skipped. An even run of trailing backslashes does not continue.
• An empty value resets that key: words is empty and the effective list becomes empty. Key="" is one empty word, not a reset. Repeated section names continue the same section. lists keeps first-seen key order and the words that remain after resets.
• Escapes from systemd.syntax Table 1 apply in quoted and unquoted words. Unknown or truncated escapes are invalid_input. A plausible key outside [A-Za-z][A-Za-z0-9]* is unsupported_input. Specifiers are not expanded.

Input

• text (string, required): max length 4096; Unit fragment. Maximum 4096 UTF-8 bytes, checked in run().

Output

• sections (array of object, required)

Limits

• max input bytes: 4096
• max sections: 32
• max directives: 64
• max words: 128
• max word bytes: 512
• max logical line bytes: 1024
• max physical lines: 256
• max continuations: 32
• max section chars: 128
• max output bytes: 65536

Example

Request input:

{
  "text": "[Service]\nEnvironment=\"VAR1=word1 word2\" VAR2=word3 \"VAR3=$word 5 6\"\n"
}

Response:

{
  "result": {
    "sections": [
      {
        "name": "Service",
        "line": 1,
        "directives": [
          {
            "key": "Environment",
            "line": 2,
            "reset": false,
            "words": [
              "VAR1=word1 word2",
              "VAR2=word3",
              "VAR3=$word 5 6"
            ]
          }
        ],
        "lists": [
          {
            "key": "Environment",
            "words": [
              "VAR1=word1 word2",
              "VAR2=word3",
              "VAR3=$word 5 6"
            ]
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

How to call it

MCP

Connect https://computefirst.net/mcp (setup), then call execute with:

{
  "id": "systemd-directive-list",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "input": {
    "text": "[Service]\nEnvironment=\"VAR1=word1 word2\" VAR2=word3 \"VAR3=$word 5 6\"\n"
  }
}

HTTP (no key)

curl -X POST https://computefirst.net/v1/tools/systemd-directive-list/versions/1.0.0/execute \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"text":"[Service]\nEnvironment=\"VAR1=word1 word2\" VAR2=word3 \"VAR3=$word 5 6\"\n"}'

The machine-readable contract is at /v1/tools/systemd-directive-list/versions/1.0.0.

CLI

node cli.mjs run systemd-directive-list 1.0.0 --input input.json --base-url https://computefirst.net

Get the client at /clients/cli/.

Related tools

• Systemd .env parse: Parse a systemd EnvironmentFile into assignments, a last-wins map, and duplicate keys.
• Gitconfig parse: Parse git config text into ordered sections, subsections, and multivar entries.
• Systemd .env format: Format assignments into canonical systemd EnvironmentFile text, one quoting mode per value.
• Xpath10 paths: List the canonical XPath 1.0 path of each node in a location-path node-set, in document order.
• Gitconfig key list: List git config keys in file order with qualified names and occurrences.
• XML exc c14n canonicalize: Exclusive XML Canonicalization 1.0 of a whole document, with an optional inclusive prefix list.