12.2.3. Using the chkconfig Utility
The chkconfig utility is a command-line tool that allows you to specify in which runlevel to start a selected service, as well as to list all available services along with their current setting. Note that with the exception of listing, you must have superuser privileges to use this command.
12.2.3.1. Listing the Services
To display a list of system services (services from the
/etc/rc.d/init.d/ directory, as well as the services controlled by xinetd), either type chkconfig --list, or use chkconfig with no additional arguments. You will be presented with an output similar to the following:
~]# chkconfig --list
NetworkManager 0:off 1:off 2:on 3:on 4:on 5:on 6:off
abrtd 0:off 1:off 2:off 3:on 4:off 5:on 6:off
acpid 0:off 1:off 2:on 3:on 4:on 5:on 6:off
anamon 0:off 1:off 2:off 3:off 4:off 5:off 6:off
atd 0:off 1:off 2:off 3:on 4:on 5:on 6:off
auditd 0:off 1:off 2:on 3:on 4:on 5:on 6:off
avahi-daemon 0:off 1:off 2:off 3:on 4:on 5:on 6:off
... several lines omitted ...
wpa_supplicant 0:off 1:off 2:off 3:off 4:off 5:off 6:off
xinetd based services:
chargen-dgram: off
chargen-stream: off
cvs: off
daytime-dgram: off
daytime-stream: off
discard-dgram: off
... several lines omitted ...
time-stream: off
Each line consists of the name of the service followed by its status (on or off) for each of the seven numbered runlevels. For example, in the listing above, NetworkManager is enabled in runlevel 2, 3, 4, and 5, while abrtd runs in runlevel 3 and 5. The xinetd based services are listed at the end, being either on, or off.
To display the current settings for a selected service only, use
chkconfig --list followed by the name of the service:
chkconfig--listservice_name
For example, to display the current settings for the
sshd service, type:
~]# chkconfig --list sshd
sshd 0:off 1:off 2:on 3:on 4:on 5:on 6:off
You can also use this command to display the status of a service that is managed by xinetd. In that case, the output will only contain the information whether the service is enabled or disabled:
~]# chkconfig --list rsync
rsync off12.2.3.2. Enabling a Service
To enable a service in runlevels 2, 3, 4, and 5, type the following at a shell prompt as
root:
chkconfigservice_nameon
For example, to enable the
httpd service in these four runlevels, type:
~]# chkconfig httpd on
To enable a service in certain runlevels only, add the
--level option followed by numbers from 0 to 6 representing each runlevel in which you want the service to run:
chkconfigservice_nameon--levelrunlevels
For instance, to enable the abrtd service in runlevels 3 and 5, type:
~]# chkconfig abrtd on --level 35
The service will be started the next time you enter one of these runlevels. If you need to start the service immediately, use the
service command as described in Section 12.3.2, “Starting a Service”.
Do not use the
--level option when working with a service that is managed by xinetd, as it is not supported. For example, to enable the rsync service, type:
~]# chkconfig rsync on
If the xinetd daemon is running, the service is immediately enabled without having to manually restart the daemon.
12.2.3.3. Disabling a Service
To disable a service in runlevels 2, 3, 4, and 5, type the following at a shell prompt as
root:
chkconfigservice_nameoff
For instance, to disable the
httpd service in these four runlevels, type:
~]# chkconfig httpd off
To disable a service in certain runlevels only, add the
--level option followed by numbers from 0 to 6 representing each runlevel in which you do not want the service to run:
chkconfigservice_nameoff--levelrunlevels
For instance, to disable the abrtd in runlevels 2 and 4, type:
~]# chkconfig abrtd off --level 24
The service will be stopped the next time you enter one of these runlevels. If you need to stop the service immediately, use the
service command as described in Section 12.3.3, “Stopping a Service”.
Do not use the
--level option when working with a service that is managed by xinetd, as it is not supported. For example, to disable the rsync service, type:
~]# chkconfig rsync off
If the xinetd daemon is running, the service is immediately disabled without having to manually restart the daemon.
