Linux Service Startup / Boot Check
Trace why a self-hosted service did not return after reboot when Docker, systemd, networking and mounts all have ordering dependencies.
Evidence tier describes my hands-on relationship with the content. Official sources describe platform contracts/documentation. Production observations should not automatically be treated as official limits.
Confirm the unit is enabled
Check systemctl is-enabled and whether the expected target wants the unit.
Read this boot journal
Use journalctl -u <unit> -b to avoid mixing failures from older boots.
Verify dependency ordering
Check Docker/network-online/mount requirements and After/Requires relationships.
Verify absolute paths and permissions
systemd does not inherit your interactive shell assumptions.
Run the ExecStart command manually
Test from the same working directory and user context to isolate unit-file problems.
Reboot once after the fix
A service that works only after manual intervention is not actually boot-safe.