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When starting niri from a display manager like GDM, or otherwise through the `niri-session` binary, it runs as a systemd service.
This provides the necessary systemd integration to run programs like `mako` and services like `xdg-desktop-portal` bound to the graphical session.
Here's an example on how you might set up [`mako`](https://github.com/emersion/mako), [`waybar`](https://github.com/Alexays/Waybar), [`swaybg`](https://github.com/swaywm/swaybg) and [`swayidle`](https://github.com/swaywm/swayidle) to run as systemd services with niri.
In contrast to [`spawn-at-startup`](./Configuration:-Miscellaneous.md#spawn-at-startup), this lets you easily monitor their status and output, and restart or reload them.
1. Install them, i.e. `sudo dnf install mako waybar swaybg swayidle`
2. Create a `niri.service.wants` folder: `mkdir -p ~/.config/systemd/user/niri.service.wants`
This is a special systemd folder.
Any services linked there will be started together with `niri.service` (which is a systemd unit used by niri when running as a session).
3. `mako` and `waybar` provide systemd units out of the box, so you can simply symlink them into the `niri.service.wants` folder:
```
ln -s /usr/lib/systemd/user/mako.service ~/.config/systemd/user/niri.service.wants/
ln -s /usr/lib/systemd/user/waybar.service ~/.config/systemd/user/niri.service.wants/
```
4. `swaybg` does not provide a systemd unit, since you need to pass the background image as a command-line argument.
So we will make our own.
Put the following into `~/.config/systemd/user/swaybg.service`:
```
[Unit]
PartOf=graphical-session.target
After=graphical-session.target
Requisite=graphical-session.target
[Service]
ExecStart=/usr/bin/swaybg -m fill -i "%h/Pictures/LakeSide.png"
Restart=on-failure
```
Replace the image path with the one you want.
`%h` is expanded to your home directory.
After editing `swaybg.service`, run `systemctl --user daemon-reload` so systemd picks up the changes in the file.
Now, also symlink this to `niri.service.wants`:
```
ln -s ~/.config/systemd/user/swaybg.service ~/.config/systemd/user/niri.service.wants/
```
5. `swayidle` similarly does not provide a service so we will also make our own. Put the following into `~/.config/systemd/user/swayidle.service`:
```
[Unit]
PartOf=graphical-session.target
After=graphical-session.target
Requisite=graphical-session.target
[Service]
ExecStart=/usr/bin/swayidle -w timeout 601 'niri msg action power-off-monitors' timeout 600 'swaylock -f' before-sleep 'swaylock -f'
Restart=on-failure
```
Then, run `systemctl --user daemon-reload` and symlink this file to `niri.service.wants`:
```
ln -s ~/.config/systemd/user/swayidle.service ~/.config/systemd/user/niri.service.wants/
```
That's it!
Now these three utilities will be started together with the niri session and stopped when it exits.
You can also restart them with a command like `systemctl --user restart waybar.service`, for example after editing their config files.
### Running Programs Across Logout
When running niri as a session, exiting it (logging out) will kill all programs that you've started within. However, sometimes you want a program, like `tmux`, `dtach` or similar, to persist in this case. To do this, run it in a transient systemd scope:
```
systemd-run --user --scope tmux new-session
```
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