The service command is another way to control SysVinit services through SysVinit scripts. It supports the following subcommands.
| Subcommand | Used To |
|---|---|
| {service} status | Print current state of service. |
| {service} start | Activate service immediately. |
| {service} stop | Deactivate service immediately. |
| {service} restart | Restart service immediately. |
| {service} reload | Re-read config files while service runs. |
Syntax
The syntax of the service command is:
# service [options] [service] [subcommand]
If you encounter the below error while running the service command:
service: command not found
you may try installing the below package as per your choice of distribution:
| OS Distribution | Command |
|---|---|
| Debian | apt-get install sysvinit-utils |
| Ubuntu | apt-get install sysvinit-utils |
| Kali Linux | apt-get install init-system-helpers |
| CentOS | yum install initscripts |
| Fedora | dnf install initscripts |
| Raspbian | apt-get install sysvinit-utils |
service Command Examples
1. To status of a program:
# service vsftpd status
2. To start a service:
# service vsftpd start
3. To stop a service:
# service vsftpd stop
4. To restart a service:
# service vsftpd restart
5. To see the status fo all the programs:
# service --status-all
6. To see the help:
# service -h # service --help
7. To see the version:
# service --version
8. Do a full restart (runs script twice with start and stop):
# service service_name --full-restart