systemctl Cheatsheet
Quick reference for systemctl service and systemd unit management
systemctl is the systemd command-line tool for managing services and other units. This cheatsheet covers common service actions, unit inspection, and system-wide controls.
Service Control
Start, stop, and restart services.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
systemctl start nginx | Start a service |
systemctl stop nginx | Stop a service |
systemctl restart nginx | Restart a service |
systemctl reload nginx | Reload configuration without full restart |
systemctl try-restart nginx | Restart only if running |
systemctl reload-or-restart nginx | Reload or restart if reload unsupported |
Enable at Boot
Control whether a service starts automatically.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
systemctl enable nginx | Enable at boot |
systemctl disable nginx | Disable at boot |
systemctl enable --now nginx | Enable and start immediately |
systemctl disable --now nginx | Disable and stop immediately |
systemctl is-enabled nginx | Check if enabled |
Status and State
Check service state and details.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
systemctl status nginx | Show status and recent logs |
systemctl is-active nginx | Check if active |
systemctl is-failed nginx | Check if failed |
systemctl show nginx | Show unit properties |
systemctl show -p ExecStart nginx | Show a specific property |
List Units
Find units and see what is running.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
systemctl list-units | List active units |
systemctl list-units --type=service | List active services |
systemctl list-units --all | List all units |
systemctl list-unit-files | List unit files and enablement |
systemctl list-unit-files --type=service | List service unit files |
Unit Files
Inspect and edit unit files.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
systemctl cat nginx | Show unit file content |
systemctl edit nginx | Create override drop-in |
systemctl edit --full nginx | Edit full unit file |
systemctl daemon-reload | Reload systemd units after changes |
Masking and Dependencies
Prevent services from starting or inspect dependencies.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
systemctl mask nginx | Prevent a unit from starting |
systemctl unmask nginx | Remove mask |
systemctl list-dependencies nginx | Show dependencies |
systemctl list-dependencies --reverse nginx | Show reverse dependencies |
System Actions
System-wide power and state controls.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
systemctl reboot | Reboot the system |
systemctl poweroff | Power off the system |
systemctl halt | Halt the system |
systemctl suspend | Suspend |
systemctl hibernate | Hibernate |
