chkconfig

manage SysVinit service runlevels

TLDR

List services with runlevel

$ chkconfig --list

Show a specific service's runlevel

$ chkconfig --list [ntpd]

Enable service at boot

$ chkconfig [sshd] on

Enable service for specific runlevels

$ chkconfig --level [2345] [sshd] on

Disable service at boot

$ chkconfig [ntpd] off

Disable service for specific runlevel

$ chkconfig --level [3] [ntpd] off

SYNOPSIS

chkconfig [options] [name] [on|off|reset]

chkconfig manages service runlevels on Red Hat-based Linux systems using SysVinit. It updates the symbolic links in /etc/rc.d/ directories that control which services start at each runlevel.This tool is primarily used on CentOS 6 and older RHEL systems. Modern systems using systemd should use systemctl instead.

PARAMETERS

--list [name]

List all services or a specific service's runlevels

--level levels

Specify which runlevels to affect (e.g., 2345)

--add name

Add a new service for management

--del name

Remove a service from management

CONFIGURATION

/etc/rc.d/init.d/

Directory containing SysVinit service scripts managed by chkconfig. Each script includes a chkconfig header specifying default runlevels.

INSTALL

sudo dnf install chkconfig

CAVEATS

Legacy tool for SysVinit systems. On systemd-based systems (CentOS 7+, RHEL 7+), use systemctl instead. Runlevels 0-6 have specific meanings: 0=halt, 1=single-user, 2-5=multi-user, 6=reboot.

HISTORY

chkconfig was developed by Red Hat for managing SysVinit services. With the adoption of systemd, its functionality has been largely replaced by systemctl, though it remains available for compatibility.

RESOURCES

Source code