systemd-ask-password-console.service(8)

systemd-ask-password-console.service8

Query the user for system passwords on the console and via wall

Usage

systemd-ask-password-console.service

systemd-ask-password-console.path

systemd-ask-password-wall.service

systemd-ask-password-wall.path

Overview

systemd-ask-password-console.service is a system service that queries the user for system passwords (such as hard disk encryption keys and SSL certificate passphrases) on the console. It is intended to be used during boot to ensure proper handling of passwords necessary for boot. systemd-ask-password-wall.service is a system service that informs all logged in users for system passwords via wall(1). It is intended to be used after boot to ensure that users are properly notified.

See the developer documentation[1] for more information about the system password logic.

Note that these services invoke systemd-tty-ask-password-agent(1) with either the --watch --console or --watch --wall command line parameters.

Notes

1.

developer documentation

https://systemd.io/PASSWORD_AGENTS/

Releases

7 releases since Debian 8 (Jessie); the text changed 6 times.

  1. 8
  2. 9
  3. 10
  4. 11
  5. 12
  6. 13
  7. Arch

From systemd 262.1-1 in Arch Linux 2026-11-01. Parsed by carta from the page's man source.