Written 27 Aug 2026. This is a how-to, not a product card.

See if any house jobs failed to start

After a reboot, check failed units before you blame the network or buy a new box.

After a reboot, or when the share, ad block, or backup feels dead, ask which house jobs failed before you rip cables or buy gear. A unit is one house program systemd tries to keep running (Pi-hole, Samba, a backup timer). systemctl --failed lists the ones that tried and lost.

Skip until SSH works

If ping fails and SSH hangs, start with is the computer still on? If you have never logged in from the couch, that is SSH from the couch. If the computer just came back up and you have not checked the house jobs yet, start with after a reboot, check the computer still does its jobs. This note assumes you can log in from the couch.

What this is

A look, not a shopping trip. After a reboot, or when the share, ad block, or backup feels dead, ask which jobs failed before you rip cables or buy gear. You are not buying a switch for this look.

Ask which jobs failed

SSH in from the couch, then run:

systemctl --failed

Empty, or a line that says 0 loaded units listed, means nothing failed this way. If names appear (smbd, pihole-FTL, a timer), that is the clue. Don't buy a switch for this look.

Optional one-liner for one failed name

If a name showed up and you want a short reason:

systemctl status NAME

Replace NAME with the short name you saw. Enough to see Active: failed and a short reason. For a deeper diary, that is when something broke, look at the log. Don't edit unit files tonight.

If something failed

Restart that one job only if you already know it:

sudo systemctl restart NAME

One careful restart, then re-check:

systemctl --failed

If it fails again, read the log. Don't stack random installs. The morning checklist is after a reboot, check the computer still does its jobs.

What next

Leave it. The morning checklist stays after a reboot, check the computer still does its jobs. Boot start stays make sure house jobs start after every reboot. Logs stay when something broke, look at the log. If the computer feels slow, memory is see if the computer still has free memory and disk is see if the computer still has room.

Skip

Skip if SSH fails. That is is the computer still on? or SSH from the couch.
Skip buying a new mini PC for one failed unit.
Skip editing unit files tonight.
Skip a NAS for this look.
Skip Proxmox tonight. That is what a VM is, and when you don't need one.

Sources

Debian: systemctl. Ubuntu: systemctl. Official pages only. For the reboot check, see after a reboot, check the computer still does its jobs. For the log look, see when something broke, look at the log. For the awake check, see is the computer still on?. For the login, see SSH from the couch.

Also on this topic

Make sure house jobs start after every rebootBefore you buy a monitoring box, check that Pi-hole and the house share are set to start when the computer boots. After a reboot, check the computer still does its jobsThe computer came back up. Confirm SSH, house ad block, and the file share still work before you buy anything. When something broke, look at the logSSH works, but a house job doesn't. Read the program's recent log before you buy a monitoring box. See if the computer still has free memoryThe computer feels slow. Check free memory before you buy a new mini PC. See what is keeping the computer busyThe computer feels slow. Check which program is using the CPU before you buy a new mini PC. Is the computer still on?You left the computer on. This morning ads are back, or SSH hangs. Check if it is awake before you buy anything.