Files in <filename>/etc/</filename> override files
with the same name in <filename>/usr/lib/</filename>
and <filename>/run/</filename>. Files in
- <filename>/run</filename> override files with the same
+ <filename>/run/</filename> override files with the same
name in <filename>/usr/lib/</filename>. Packages
should install their configuration files in
<filename>/usr/lib/</filename>. Files in
<para><command>systemd-tmpfiles</command> creates,
deletes and cleans up volatile and temporary files and
- directories, based on the configuration from
- <filename>/etc/tmpfiles.d/</filename>. See
- <citerefentry><refentrytitle>tmpfiles.d</refentrytitle><manvolnum>5</manvolnum></citerefentry>
- for more details on these files.</para>
-
- <para>If invoked with no arguments applies all
- directives from all configuration files in
- <filename>/etc/tmpfiles.d/*.conf</filename>. If one or
+ directories, based on the configuration file format and
+ location specified in <citerefentry>
+ <refentrytitle>tmpfiles.d</refentrytitle>
+ <manvolnum>5</manvolnum>
+ </citerefentry>.</para>
+
+ <para>If invoked with no arguments, it applies all
+ directives from all configuration files. If one or
more absolute file names are passed on the command
line only the directives in these files are
applied.</para>
<para>
<citerefentry><refentrytitle>systemd</refentrytitle><manvolnum>1</manvolnum></citerefentry>,
<citerefentry><refentrytitle>tmpfiles.d</refentrytitle><manvolnum>5</manvolnum></citerefentry>,
- <citerefentry><refentrytitle>tmpwatch</refentrytitle><manvolnum>8</manvolnum></citerefentry>
</para>
</refsect1>
<refsect1>
<title>Configuration Format</title>
- <para>Each configuration file is named in the style of
- <filename><program>.conf</filename>. Files in
- <filename>/etc/</filename> override files with the
- same name in <filename>/usr/lib/</filename>. Files in
- <filename>/run</filename> override files with the same
- name in <filename>/etc/</filename> and
- <filename>/usr/lib/</filename>. Packages should
- install their configuration files in
- <filename>/usr/lib/</filename>, files in
+ <para>Each configuration file shall be named in the
+ style of <filename><program>.conf</filename>.
+ Files in <filename>/etc/</filename> override files
+ with the same name in <filename>/usr/lib/</filename>
+ and <filename>/run/</filename>. Files in
+ <filename>/run/</filename> override files with the same
+ name in <filename>/usr/lib/</filename>. Packages
+ should install their configuration files in
+ <filename>/usr/lib/</filename>. Files in
<filename>/etc/</filename> are reserved for the local
- administrator, who may choose to override the
- configurations installed from packages. The list of
+ administrator, who may use this logic to override the
+ configuration files installed by vendor packages. All
configuration files are sorted by their filename in
alphabetical order, regardless in which of the
- directories they reside, to guarantee that a
- configuration file takes precedence over another
- configuration file with an alphabetically later
- name.</para>
+ directories they reside, to guarantee that a specific
+ configuration file takes precedence over another file
+ with an alphabetically later name</para>
+
+ <para>If the administrator wants to disable a
+ configuration file supplied by the vendor the
+ recommended way is to place a symlink to
+ <filename>/dev/null</filename> in
+ <filename>/etc/tmpfiles.d/</filename> bearing the
+ same file name.</para>
<para>The configuration format is one line per path
containing action, path, mode, ownership, age and argument