Running Livebook as a Systemd Service for Your User

Livebook is a powerful tool for creating and sharing interactive notebooks with Elixir. To make it even more convenient, you can set it up to run as a systemd service for your user. This ensures that Livebook starts automatically whenever you log in, and runs in the background without requiring root permissions. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get started.

Step 1: Install Livebook

First, ensure you have Livebook installed. You can install it via Elixir’s package manager, mix, by running:

mix escript.install hex livebook

Step 2: Create a User Systemd Service File

Systemd allows users to manage their own services. User-specific service files are stored in ~/.config/systemd/user/.

mkdir -p ~/.config/systemd/user
nano ~/.config/systemd/user/livebook.service

Step 3: Define the Service Configuration

Add the following content to the livebook.service file (replace USER and PASSWORD):

[Unit]
Description=Livebook Service

[Service]
Type=simple
ExecStart=/home/__USER__/.asdf/shims/livebook server
Restart=on-failure
Environment=HOME=%h
Environment=MIX_ENV=prod
Environment=PATH=/home/USER/.asdf/shims:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin
Environment=LIVEBOOK_HOME=%h/livemd
Environment=LIVEBOOK_PASSWORD=__PASSWORD__
Environment=LIVEBOOK_PORT=8090
Environment=LIVEBOOK_IFRAME_PORT=8091


[Install]
WantedBy=default.target

Explanation:

• ExecStart: The command to start Livebook. Ensure the path to the Livebook binary is correct.
• Environment: Sets necessary environment variables. %h will expand to the user’s home directory.

Step 4: Reload User Systemd Configuration

After creating the service file, reload the systemd user configuration.

systemctl --user daemon-reload

Step 5: Enable the Service for Your User

Enable the service to start on user login.

systemctl --user enable livebook.service

Step 6: Start the Service for Your User

Start the Livebook service.

systemctl --user start livebook.service

Step 7: Check the Service Status

Verify that the service is running.

systemctl --user status livebook.service

Step 8: Enable User Systemd Services on Boot

Ensure that user services are started automatically at boot. You can enable lingering for your user:

sudo loginctl enable-linger USER

Replace USER with your actual username.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you can set up Livebook to run as a systemd service for your user. This setup ensures that Livebook starts automatically when you log in and runs smoothly in the background. Enjoy your interactive notebooks with the convenience of a managed service!