What Is systemctl?

systemctl is the primary command-line tool used to manage services, targets, and system state on systemd-based Linux systems.

It controls starting, stopping, restarting, and enabling services.

What Is systemctl Used For?

• Starting and stopping services
• Managing auto-start on boot
• Controlling system targets
• Diagnosing service failures

Basic systemctl Commands

systemctl status nginx

systemctl start nginx
systemctl stop nginx
systemctl restart nginx

Enable or Disable Services on Boot

systemctl enable nginx
systemctl disable nginx

Listing Services

systemctl list-units --type=service

Viewing Failed Services

systemctl --failed

When Should You Use systemctl?

• When a service is not running
• During boot or startup issues
• After deployments or updates
• In automation and maintenance workflows

Common Mistakes

• Using incorrect service names
• Confusing enable with start
• Restarting without checking logs

Best Practices

• Always check status before restarting
• Analyze errors with journalctl
• Disable unused services
• Include service control in automation

From a knowledge base perspective, systemctl is the central service management tool on modern Linux systems.