Make chosen services start automatically at boot by enabling their unit files with systemctl. 16.11.2025 | reading time: 2 min On modern Linux systems a service that must run after boot needs to be enabled so the init system knows to start it automatically; this short guide shows how to do that with systemctl and what to watch out for. Quick demonstration Here is a concrete run you can copy and paste to enable a web server and check its state: ```bash sudo systemctl enable nginx.service sudo systemctl is-enabled nginx.service enabled sudo systemctl enable --now nginx.service # this enables and starts the service immediately ``` Edge cases and techniques Enabling creates unit symlinks in target directories, it does not always start a service unless you use `--now`; use `systemctl disable` to remove enablement, `systemctl mask` to prevent any activation, and `systemctl preset` to apply distro defaults; for user-level services add `--user` and remember that template units like `my@.service` accept instances such as `my@instance.service`. Other init systems Not all distributions use systemd: Debian/older Ubuntu use `update-rc.d`, RHEL7-era and some legacy systems use `chkconfig`, and OpenRC-based distros use `rc-update`; the exact commands differ but the goal is the same: create the right startup links or profiles. Final thought Mastering service enablement is a small, practical step toward reliable servers; keep experimenting and consider formal certification such as CompTIA Linux+ or LPIC-1 and intensive exam preparation at bitsandbytes.academy to turn hands-on skill into career momentum. Join Bits & Bytes Academy First class LINUX exam preparation. boot-process setup utilities troubleshooting
