What are services in Linux

Services in Linux are programs that run in the background and provide certain functions or services to the system or users. They work independently of user interaction and are launched at the start of the operating system.

What are Linux services for?

Linux services can include various services, such as database servers (MySQL, PostgreSQL), web servers (Apache, Nginx), mail servers (Postfix, Sendmail), DNS servers (BIND), DHCP servers (ISC DHCP), VPN servers (OpenVPN) and many others.

Services in Linux play an important role in ensuring the functionality and stability of the operating system. They provide various services and functions to the system and users. Here are a few reasons why services in Linux are necessary:

1. Provision of network services: web servers (Apache, Nginx), mail servers (Postfix, Sendmail), DNS servers (for example, BIND) and DHCP servers (ISC DHCP), allow users to exchange information and communicate with each other through the network.
2. Data processing and storage: Services such as database servers (MySQL, PostgreSQL) provide the ability to store and display data, as well as perform queries and data processing on the server.
3. System Management: Responsible for performing low-level tasks such as log management, network configuration, power management, and other aspects of the Linux operating system.

These services can be started automatically at system startup, as well as managed using the "systemd" utility. This allows you to control the start, stop, restart and configuration management of services. In addition, Linux distributions can provide additional tools for managing services, such as systemctl in systemd or service in SysV.

How to run services on Linux

To run the service on Linux, you can use various methods, depending on the distribution and system manager used.

Here are some common ways to start services.

Using the systemctl utility: Most modern Linux distributions use systemd as a system manager. To start the service using systemctl, use the following command:

Here <service name> is replaced with the name of the specific service you want to run.

Using the service utility: Some Linux distributions, especially those that use System V init, can use the service command to manage services. For example, to start the Apache service using service, use the following command:

Depending on the Linux distribution, you may also have other ways to run services. For example, for distributions using Upstart, you can use the start command to start the service.