service

Additional Notes

service is a system command used to run legacy init service scripts. It runs init scripts and is the traditional way to start, stop, and check services on SysV systems.

On systemd-based distributions, service often redirects to systemctl. It remains widely used in older guides and compatibility contexts.

Syntax

service [options] [arguments]

Parameters

• options: Flags that change how service behaves.
• 'service': Name of the service to manage.
• 'command': Action (start, stop, restart, status, etc.).

Common Options

• SERVICE status: Show service status.
• SERVICE start: Start a service.
• SERVICE stop: Stop a service.
• SERVICE restart: Restart a service.

Examples

sudo service ssh status
sudo service nginx restart
sudo service cron stop

Practical Notes

On systemd systems, prefer systemctl, but service remains common in older guides and compatibility scripts.