systemd-analyze Command
Intermediate Systemd & Services man(1)Analyze system boot-up performance
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📅 Updated: Mar 15, 2026
SYNTAX
systemd-analyze [COMMAND]
What Does systemd-analyze Do?
systemd-analyze provides tools for analyzing and debugging systemd startup performance. It shows boot time, identifies slow services, and visualizes the boot process.
systemd-analyze is invaluable for optimizing boot time — it reveals which services take the longest and which could be started in parallel or deferred.
It can generate SVG boot charts, show the critical chain of services that determine boot time, and audit security configurations of services.
systemd-analyze is invaluable for optimizing boot time — it reveals which services take the longest and which could be started in parallel or deferred.
It can generate SVG boot charts, show the critical chain of services that determine boot time, and audit security configurations of services.
Options & Flags
| Option | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (no args) | Show total boot time | systemd-analyze |
| blame | Show time per service (slowest first) | systemd-analyze blame |
| critical-chain | Show critical boot path | systemd-analyze critical-chain |
| plot | Generate SVG boot chart | systemd-analyze plot > boot.svg |
| security | Audit service security | systemd-analyze security nginx |
Practical Examples
#1 Boot time
Shows total boot time breakdown.
$ systemd-analyze
Output:
Startup finished in 2.5s (kernel) + 8.3s (userspace) = 10.8s
#2 Slowest services
Shows the 10 slowest services during boot.
$ systemd-analyze blame | head -10
Output:
5.2s NetworkManager-wait-online.service\n3.1s snapd.service\n1.5s postgresql.service
#3 Critical chain
Shows the chain of services that determined boot time.
$ systemd-analyze critical-chain#4 Boot chart
Creates a visual timeline of the boot process.
$ systemd-analyze plot > boot.svg#5 Security audit
Audits the security settings of a service unit.
$ systemd-analyze security nginxTips & Best Practices
blame for slow boots: systemd-analyze blame shows which services slow down boot. Disable unnecessary ones: systemctl disable slow-service.
critical-chain shows dependencies: The critical chain shows which service is actually blocking boot completion — often different from the slowest individual service.
NetworkManager-wait-online: This service often tops the blame list. If not needed, mask it: systemctl mask NetworkManager-wait-online.service.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I speed up boot?
systemd-analyze blame shows slow services. Disable unnecessary ones. Check critical-chain for the actual bottleneck.
How do I see boot time?
systemd-analyze shows total boot time split into kernel and userspace.
How do I visualize the boot process?
systemd-analyze plot > boot.svg creates an SVG timeline showing parallel service startup.
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