In Linux, managing services is a critical part of system administration. Whether it be checking the status, starting or stopping, enabling or disabling services, it’s crucial to know how to do these tasks. However, before we can manage these services, we need to understand what services are available. In this blog post, we will discuss how to list services in Linux.
Utilizing systemctl
The systemctl command is a utility that enables and disables services in Linux. It is part of the systemd system and service manager, which is now the default initialization system for most Linux distributions.
To list all loaded services using systemctl, you can use the command:
systemctl list-units --type service
The above command will give you a list of all loaded (active and inactive) services.
Filtering Active and Running Services
If you want to filter only the active and running services, you can use the following command:
systemctl --type=service --state=running
This command will list all active and currently running services.
Using the service command
Another way to list the services in Linux is using the service command followed by the –status-all option. This command works on all distributions that support the SysV init scripts.
service --status-all
This command will display a list of services that are started, stopped, and also those which can be manually started and stopped.
Conclusion
Understanding how to list services in Linux is a crucial skill for any system administrator. By knowing which services are running on your system, you can manage resources more effectively and ensure that your system is secure. The systemctl and service commands are two essential tools for managing and listing services in Linux.
Remember, before stopping or disabling any service, make sure you understand what it does. Disabling essential services can lead to an unstable system.
Happy Linux-ing!
