How to delete a service in Linux

24.09.2023, 21:15

A service in Linux is a program or process that runs in the background and performs a specific function or task on an operating system

Why delete a service in Linux?

It can be useful in the following cases:

Disabling unnecessary services: some default installed services may be unnecessary for your system, taking up resources or running slowly. Removing such services can help optimize performance and free up resources.
Removing conflicting services: if you have two or more services that perform similar functions and may conflict with each other, removing one of the services may resolve the conflict.
System cleanup: if you are no longer using a particular service and want to free up disk space or just clean up your system, uninstalling may be a good solution.
Fixing vulnerabilities: when a service has known vulnerabilities without the ability to patch or update them, uninstallation may be a recommended action to keep the system secure.
Configuration changes: in some cases, you can uninstall a service to then install a new version of the service

To remove a service in Linux, follow these steps:

Open a terminal.
Type the command:
```
sudo systemctl stop <service_name>
```
(replace <service_name> with the name of the service to be removed). This command will stop the service if it is running.
Enter the command to disable the automatic startup service at system boot.
```
sudo systemctl disable <service_name>
```
Next, use the command to delete the service file from the /etc/systemd/system/ directory. (Replace <service_name> with the name of the service to be deleted).
```
sudo rm /etc/systemd/system/<service_name>
```
Finally, enter the command to update the system and delete the service information:
```
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
```

Note: Be careful when deleting a service, make sure you are deleting the correct service and it is no longer needed.