---
name: "Rex::Commands::Service"
section: "3pm"
platform: "linux"
package: "rex"
version: "1.16.0-1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/Rex::Commands::Service"
---

# Rex::Commands::Service(3pm)

Manage System Services

## NAME

Rex::Commands::Service - Manage System Services

## DESCRIPTION

With this module you can manage Linux services.

## SYNOPSIS

```
 use Rex::Commands::Service
 service apache2 => "start";
 service apache2 => "stop";
 service apache2 => "restart";
 service apache2 => "status";
 service apache2 => "reload";
 service apache2 => "ensure", "started";
 service apache2 => "ensure", "stopped";
```

## EXPORTED FUNCTIONS

### service($service, $action, \[$option\])

The service function accepts 2 parameters. The first is the service name and the second the action you want to perform.

- starting a service

  ```
   task "start-service", "server01", sub {
     service apache2 => "start";
   };
  ```

- stopping a service

  ```
   task "stop-service", "server01", sub {
     service apache2 => "stop";
   };
  ```

- restarting a service

  ```
   task "restart-service", "server01", sub {
     service apache2 => "restart";
   };
  ```

- checking status of a service

  ```
   task "status-service", "server01", sub {
     if( service apache2 => "status" ) {
       say "Apache2 is running";
     }
     else {
       say "Apache2 is not running";
     }
   };
  ```

- reloading a service

  ```
   task "reload-service", "server01", sub {
     service apache2 => "reload";
   };
  ```

- ensure that a service will started at boot time

  ```
   task "prepare", sub {
     service "apache2",
       ensure => "started";
   };
  ```

- ensure that a service will NOT be started.

  ```
   task "prepare", sub {
     service "apache2",
       ensure => "stopped";
   };
  ```

  If you need to define a custom command for start, stop, restart, reload or status you can do this with the corresponding options.

  ```
   task "prepare", sub {
     service "apache2",
       ensure  => "started",
       start   => "/usr/local/bin/httpd -f /etc/my/httpd.conf",
       stop    => "killall httpd",
       status  => "ps -efww | grep httpd",
       restart => "killall httpd && /usr/local/bin/httpd -f /etc/my/httpd.conf",
       reload  => "killall httpd && /usr/local/bin/httpd -f /etc/my/httpd.conf";
   };
  ```

  This function supports the following hooks:

  - before\_${action}

    For example: `"before_start"`, `"before_stop"`, `"before_restart"`

    This gets executed right before the given service action. All original parameters are passed to it.

  - after\_${action}

    For example: `"after_start"`, `"after_stop"`, `"after_restart"`

    This gets executed right after the given service action. All original parameters, and any returned results are passed to it.

### service\_provider\_for $os =\> $type;

To set another service provider as the default, use this function.

```
 user "root";
 group "db" => "db[01..10]";
 service_provider_for SunOS => "svcadm";
 task "start", group => "db", sub {
    service ssh => "restart";
 };
```

This example will restart the *ssh* service via svcadm (but only on SunOS, on other operating systems it will use the default).