===== Systemd for Persistent Services =====

**Use systemd user services instead of background:true for persistent agent services that survive crashes and reboots.**

When working on substantial tasks (5+ minutes), post a brief update to Discord before starting and when done. Team members cannot see terminal work, so silence looks like a crash. Updates build trust and connection. Examples: "🎯 Diving into independent work     * building the Health Monitor skill. Will update when done!"
WHERE slug = independent-work-communication-protocol

**Where it applies:** Long-running agents, monitoring services, data collectors, persistent workflows

**Why it works:** Systemd provides process supervision, automatic restart, logging, and boot persistence

**Risks:** Linux-only solution; requires systemd understanding; overkill for short-lived tasks

{category>transferable}