Systemctl: Essential Commands for Service Management in Linux

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If you’re using Linux, you’ve likely encountered Systemctl, a powerful tool for managing system services. It interacts with systemd, the initialization system responsible for controlling how services start, stop, and behave on your operating system.

This beginner-friendly guide will walk you through the most essential Systemctl commands, explaining them in detail and providing practical examples.

What Is Systemctl?

Systemctl is a command-line tool that allows you to manage services on your Linux system. With Systemctl, you can:

  • Start, stop, enable, or disable Systemctl services.
  • List active, inactive, or failed Systemctl services.
  • Control which Systemctl services start automatically during boot.

Essential Systemctl Commands

1. Check the Status of a Service

This command displays detailed information about a specific service:

systemctl status service-name

Example:

systemctl status apache2

You’ll see whether the service is running, its last start time, and any error messages.

2. Start a Service

To start a service manually:

systemctl start service-name

Example:

systemctl start apache2

3. Stop a Service

To stop a running service:

systemctl stop service-name

Example:

systemctl stop apache2

4. Restart a Service

To restart a service:

systemctl restart service-name

Example:

systemctl restart apache2

5. Enable a Service to Start on Boot

Ensure a service starts automatically when your system boots:

systemctl enable service-name

Example:

systemctl enable apache2

6. Disable a Service from Starting on Boot

To prevent a service from starting automatically:

systemctl disable service-name

Example:

systemctl disable apache2

7. List Active Services

To see all currently active services:

systemctl list-units --type=service --state=active

8. List All Services

For a complete list of all services, regardless of their state:

systemctl list-units --type=service

9. Check Disabled Services

View services that are not set to start on boot:

systemctl list-unit-files --state=disabled

10. Check Failed Services

If something is not working, this command lists services that have failed:

systemctl list-units --type=service --state=failed

11. Reload a Service Configuration

If you’ve edited a service’s configuration file, reload it without restarting the service:

systemctl reload service-name

12. Check Systemd’s Overall Status

Get the overall status of the systemd service manager:

systemctl is-system-running

Common responses include running, degraded, or maintenance.

13. Mask and Unmask Services

To completely block a service from starting (manually or automatically):

systemctl mask service-name

Example:

systemctl mask apache2

To allow the service to run again:

systemctl unmask service-name

Additional Tips

  • Check Logs: Use journalctl -u service-name to view the logs of a specific service.
  • Version Info: Run systemctl --version to check your installed version of systemd.
  • Learn More: For comprehensive documentation, run man systemctl.

Conclusion

Systemctl is a critical tool for managing Linux services, and with these commands, you’re well-equipped to handle most service-related tasks. If you found this guide helpful or have questions, let us know in the comments below.

Happy Linuxing! 🐧