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Using systemd Services: How to Create and Manage Daemons on Your Linux VPS

Anyone who manages a Linux virtual private server must be able to efficiently manage background services. Modern Linux distributions, including Ubuntu, Debian, CentOS, AlmaLinux, and Fedora, use systemd, a powerful init system that controls how services start, stop, and behave at boot time. Understanding systemd will improve your server management, whether you are deploying applications, automating a script, or running custom-built daemons. 

This guide will teach you how to create, manage, and configure systemd services by using best practices and practical examples.

How systemd Services Work

systemd uses unit files, typically located in /etc/systemd/system/, to define how a service behaves. Systemd is a Linux VPS application that allows you to control how your applications are run.

Learn how to use the systemd services, and you can take full control of your Linux VPS. Systemd is a reliable, automated, and stable solution for all your needs, whether you are running a script, setting up a microservice in production, or deploying a website. You can create daemons of professional quality by mastering systemd commands and service files.

Using systemd Services: How to Create and Manage Daemons on Your Linux VPS

The default service manager in most Linux distributions is systemd. It replaces the older init system and provides a way to manage background daemons, system processes, and boot sequences. In short, systemd gives you complete control over how your applications run on your Linux VPS.

Let’s learn how to create your own custom service.

Step 1: Create a Script or Application to Run

Create the program that you wish to run as a Daemon. A simple Python script is an example.

sudo nano /usr/local/bin/hello.py

Paste:

#!/usr/bin/env python3

import time

while True:

    with open("/tmp/hello.log", "a") as f:

        f.write("Hello from systemd!\n")

    time.sleep(5)

Make it executable:

sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/hello.py

Step 2: Create a systemd Service Unit File

Create a service file now:

sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/hello.service

Add:

[Unit]

Description=Hello Demo Service

After=network.target


[Service]

ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/hello.py

Restart=always

User=root


[Install]

WantedBy=multi-user.target

Explanation:

  • Description - identifies a service
  • After - ensures that service begins after the network
  • ExecStart is the command that runs systemd
  • Restart = always - it will restart automatically if the system crashes
  • WantedBy – defines the start date of the service

Step 3: Reload systemd

Reload systemd after adding or editing a unit file:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload

Step 4: Start and Enable the Service

Start the service:

sudo systemctl start hello.service

Enable the boot to run:

sudo systemctl enable hello.service

Check status:

sudo systemctl status hello.service

Logs and runtime information will be displayed.

Step 5: Manage the Service

Here are some of the most common commands.

Stop a service:

sudo systemctl stop hello.service

Restart

sudo systemctl restart hello.service

View logs

sudo journalctl -u hello.service -f

Disable autostart

sudo systemctl disable hello.service

Check if enabled

sudo systemctl is-enabled hello.service

Step 6: Remove a systemd Service

To delete the service:

sudo systemctl stop hello.service

sudo systemctl disable hello.service

sudo rm /etc/systemd/system/hello.service

sudo systemctl daemon-reload

Conclusion

To create and manage daemons using systemd on your Linux VPS, you first write the script or application you want to run in the background, then create a service unit file under /etc/systemd/system/ that defines how the service should start, stop, restart, and run at boot.

After saving the unit file, you reload systemd with sudo systemctl daemon-reload, start the service using sudo systemctl start <service>, and enable it at boot with sudo systemctl enable <service>. You can manage it with commands like systemctl stop, restart, and status, and view logs with journalctl -u <service>. To remove the service, stop and disable it, then delete the service file and reload systemd.

Want to create and manage daemons on your Cheap VPS? Follow this step-by-step tutorial.

Karim Buzdar

• 4 min read