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Asked: 2024-09-25T11:19:09+05:30 In:

How can I resolve the issue of the ‘service’ command not being found on my Ubuntu system?

I recently ran into this frustrating issue on my Ubuntu system, and I could really use some help from anyone who’s experienced this before. So, here’s the deal: I was trying to use the ‘service’ command to manage some services on my machine, but every time I type it in the terminal, I get this annoying “command not found” error.

I mean, I’ve been using Ubuntu for a little while now, and I assumed the ‘service’ command would be available, especially since it seems like such a fundamental part of managing services. The weird part is that I’ve checked my PATH variable, and everything seems fine there. I’ve also tried running some basic updates and can’t figure out what’s going on.

I did some digging online and found some forums that suggested it might be a problem with the specific version of Ubuntu I’m using. I’m currently on Ubuntu 22.04, and I’ve heard some folks saying that as systems evolve, some commands get replaced or deprecated. I mean, is that really what’s happening here? Is there a potential alternative to the ‘service’ command that I should be using instead?

I also wondered if maybe I didn’t install something crucial. Could it be that I need to install a particular package to get the ‘service’ command back on my system? If that’s the case, which package would it be?

Moreover, I’ve seen people mentioning systemd and how it’s taking over the service management in more recent versions of Ubuntu. So, is it possible that I’m supposed to be using `systemctl` instead of the ‘service’ command? That could explain the error, but I’m just not sure.

Honestly, it’s a bit overwhelming trying to get everything sorted out, and I really don’t want to break anything in the process. If anyone has ideas on how to troubleshoot this or figures out how to make the ‘service’ command work again—or even better, a simple guide on what I should be using these days—I’d be super grateful for your help!

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    2 Answers



    1. Ubuntu Service Command Help

      Frustrated with the ‘service’ Command?

      It sounds like you’re running into a common situation on Ubuntu 22.04. The ‘service’ command is indeed a fundamental part of managing services, but in recent versions, systemd has become the standard for service management. So, instead of using `service`, you might want to try using `systemctl`.

      For example, instead of:

      service  start

      You could use:

      sudo systemctl start

      When managing services, here are some other systemctl commands you might find useful:

      • sudo systemctl status – To check the status of the service
      • sudo systemctl stop – To stop the service
      • sudo systemctl enable – To enable the service to start on boot
      • sudo systemctl disable – To disable the service from starting on boot

      If you’re still keen on using the ‘service’ command, it should typically be available on your system by default, so it’s a bit strange that you’re seeing the “command not found” error. You could try reinstalling the systemd package, which includes the ‘service’ command:

      sudo apt-get install --reinstall systemd

      Also, checking for updates and upgrading your system might help:

      sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade

      If this still doesn’t resolve your issue, let’s make sure your PATH variable is correct. You can check your PATH by running:

      echo $PATH

      And ensure that it includes directories like /usr/sbin and /sbin, since the ‘service’ command is usually located there.

      Hopefully, this helps clear up what’s going on! If you’re unsure, just stick with `systemctl` for now—it’s the way most users are managing services in the latest versions of Ubuntu.


    2. The “command not found” error you’re encountering when trying to use the ‘service’ command on Ubuntu 22.04 could be due to the transition to the systemd init system, which has become the default service manager in more recent versions of Ubuntu. The ‘service’ command is still included for compatibility purposes; however, the preferred approach for managing services now is through `systemctl`. For example, instead of using commands like `service apache2 start`, you should use `systemctl start apache2`. This change means that while ‘service’ should technically still be available, relying on `systemctl` is the recommended way to manage services on your system moving forward.

      If you find that the ‘service’ command is truly missing and not functioning as expected, it may be worthwhile to check if the `sysvinit-utils` package is installed, as this package includes the classic service management commands. You can check and install it by running `sudo apt install sysvinit-utils` in your terminal. However, I recommend getting accustomed to using `systemctl`, as it provides more robust features for service management, such as checking the status of services, starting, stopping, and reloading them, along with viewing logs. Transitioning to `systemctl` will not only mitigate your current issue but also better align with the modern practices in Ubuntu’s service management.

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