service command

service - run a System V init script

The service command in Linux is a utility used to manage system services (e.g., start, stop, restart, or check the status of daemons like web servers or databases). It’s commonly used on systems with SysVinit or as a compatibility layer for older scripts on systemd-based systems.

Note: On modern systems using systemd, systemctl is the preferred tool, but service often works as a wrapper for backward compatibility.

Usage: service [service_name] [action]

• service_name: The name of the service (e.g., apache2, ssh).
• action: The command to perform (e.g., start, stop, restart).

Examples

• Basic Usage

  Run service with a service name and an action to control it.

  service ssh start
  • Starts the SSH service (often named sshd or ssh depending on the system).
  • Requires root privileges—use sudo if not root:

    sudo service ssh start

• Common Actions

  Here are the typical actions you can perform:

  Action	Description
  start	Start the service
  stop	Stop the service
  restart	Stop and then start the service
  reload	Reload configuration without stopping
  status	Check the service’s current state

  • Stop a service:

    sudo service apache2 stop
  • Restart a service:

    sudo service nginx restart
  • Check status:

    sudo service ssh status
    • Output might vary (e.g., [ ok ] sshd is running or systemd-style details).

• Listing All Services

  Use service with --status-all to see the status of all services (SysVinit only).

  service --status-all
  • Output (example):

    [ + ]  apache2
    [ - ]  bluetooth
    [ ? ]  cron
  • +: Running, -: Stopped, ?: Unknown or no status script.

  Note: This doesn’t work reliably on systemd systems—use systemctl list-units instead.

• Reloading Configuration

  Use reload to apply changes without interrupting the service (if supported).

  sudo service nginx reload
  • Reloads nginx configuration without dropping connections.

• Using with Systemd

  On systemd systems, service redirects to systemctl under the hood.

  sudo service sshd restart
  • Equivalent to sudo systemctl restart sshd.
  • Output might show systemd messages (e.g., Active: active (running)).

To get help related to the service command use --help option

$ service --help
Usage: service < option > | --status-all | [ service_name [ command | --full-restart ] ]

For more details, check the manual with man service