From 52a75746252f38ab1439f9830cc7a59eb0b10d50 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: KingPointer <160164373+MoonPointer-Byte@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 2026 18:15:59 +0800
Subject: [PATCH] docs: clarify ConditionPathExists= semantics (#43724)

## Summary

Clarify `ConditionPathExists=` in `systemd.unit(5)`:

- It checks for any filesystem object (regular file, directory, device
node, FIFO, socket), not only regular files.
- Symbolic links are followed, so a broken symbolic link is not
considered to exist.

Fixes #41900
---
 man/systemd.unit.xml | 6 ++++--
 1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/man/systemd.unit.xml b/man/systemd.unit.xml
index 7c1704f160..54d2496189 100644
--- a/man/systemd.unit.xml
+++ b/man/systemd.unit.xml
@@ -1781,8 +1781,10 @@
         <varlistentry>
           <term><varname>ConditionPathExists=</varname></term>
 
-          <listitem><para>Check for the existence of a file. If the specified absolute path name does not exist,
-          the condition will fail. If the absolute path name passed to
+          <listitem><para>Check for the existence of a path. This applies to any file system object (such as a
+          regular file, directory, device node, FIFO, or socket), not only regular files. Symbolic links
+          are followed, so a broken symbolic link is not considered to exist. If the specified absolute
+          path name does not exist, the condition will fail. If the absolute path name passed to
           <varname>ConditionPathExists=</varname> is prefixed with an exclamation mark
           (<literal>!</literal>), the test is negated, and the unit is only started if the path does not
           exist.</para>