CHKCONFIG(8) System Manager's Manual CHKCONFIG(8)
NAME
chkconfig - enable or disable system services
SYNOPSIS
chkconfig -t|--terse [names]
chkconfig -s|--set [name state]
chkconfig -e|--edit [names]
chkconfig -c|--check name [state]
chkconfig -l|--list [--deps] [names]
chkconfig -A|--allservices
chkconfig -a|--add [names]
chkconfig -d|--del [names]
DESCRIPTION
chkconfig is used to manipulate the runlevel links at boot time (see init.d(7)). It can be thought of as a frontend to insserv(8). Chk-
config can run in six different modes: terse list mode, set mode, edit mode, list mode, add mode and delete mode. The last three modes were
added for compatiblity reasons.
TERSE LIST MODE
This mode lists the state of the specified services, or all known services if no service name was provided. Every printed line consists of
the name of the service and the runlevels the service is configured for at the moment. If it is configured in no runlevel, off is used
instead, if it is configured in the runlevels defined as a default by the start script, on is used. If the service is an enabled inetd or
xinetd service, inetd and xinetd are used. Inetd/xinetd services are configured in /etc/inetd.d and /etc/xinetd.d, respectively. You can
use the -A or --allservices parameter to get all services (even the boot.*-services) listed.
If chkconfig is called without arguments, all services are listed in terse mode.
SET MODE
Set mode is used to configure at which runlevel a service should be started. The arguments must be specified as pairs of service name and
new state. You can use on and off as special states to select the default set of runlevels or to disable a service completely. You can use
inetd or xinetd to configure a service managed by the inetd/xinetd daemons.
Insserv can calculate dependencies for only one service at the same time. To work around this limitation imposed by insserv, chkconfig uses
the '-f' option of insserv when it reads the list of services from standard input. Note that --force switches off all dependency checks and
could lead to depending services no longer working, use with care.
If no services are specified, chkconfig reads lines from standard input. Each line must consist of a service/state pair. As this is exactly
the output of the terse list mode, this can be used to reconfigure a service specification saved by a former run.
If the option -f or --force is also given, insserv is called with a '-f' option.
EDIT MODE
This mode is a combination of the terse list mode and set mode. It writes the state of all specified services (or all known services, if
no service was provided) into a temporary file, starts an editor and re-configures all services to reflect the states of the changed tempo-
rary file.
CHECK MODE
This mode can be used to check the state of a service. chkconfig exits with a return code of '0' if the service is enabled in all of the
specified runlevels, otherwise the exit status is '1'. If chkconfig is called with only a service name the current runlevel of the system
is used for checking.
LIST MODE
List mode prints for each specified service a line that consists of the service name and for runlevels zero to six on or off depending if
the service will be started or not. on will be printed in bright green if the output is written to a terminal. If the --deps option is
given, the names of the services that must be started before this service is appended to each line. The inetd/xinetd services are listed in
extra sections.
You can use the -A or --allservices parameter to get all services (even the boot.*-services) listed.
ADD MODE
Calls insserv to enable a service and uses list mode to display the new setting afterwards.
DEL MODE
Same as add mode, but disable the service.
OTHER OPTIONS
When no service names are given on the command line, chkconfig defaults to all known services excluding those that are not enabled in run-
levels 1 to 6 and start with 'boot.'. Use the --allservices or -A option if you want to see such services as well.
EXAMPLES
chkconfig
list the runlevel configuration of all known services
chkconfig apache
list the runlevel configuration of the apache web server
chkconfig -t apache xntpd
list the runlevel configuration of the apache web server and the network time protocol daemon.
chkconfig apache on
configure the apache web server to be started on next boot time.
chkconfig apache 5
configure the apache web server to be started only if the system reaches runlevel 5.
chkconfig apache 35
configure the apache web server for runlevel 3 and 5.
chkconfig apache on xntpd off
configure two services
chkconfig finger xinetd
configure a xinetd service
chkconfig -A >~root/chkconfig.save
backup the current configuration
chkconfig -s <~root/chkconfig.save
restore the configuration
chkconfig -e apache xntpd
change the runlevel configuration interactively
chkconfig -e
change the runlevel configuration of all services interactively
FILES
/etc/init.d/
path to the boot script base directory as required by the Linux Standard Base Specification (LSB).
/etc/inetd.d/
path to the inetd services. See the inetd manpage to find out how to enable this feature.
/etc/xinetd.d/
path to the xinetd services.
SEE ALSO
init.d(7), init(7), inetd(8) xinetd(8) insserv(8)
COPYRIGHT
2003 SuSE Linux AG, Nuernberg, Germany.
AUTHOR
Michael Schroeder <mls@suse.de>
Oct 2006 CHKCONFIG(8)