Windows msconfig / systemd-analyze equivalent in Linux
Shows total boot time and which services took the longest to start.
msconfig / systemd-analyze
systemd-analyze
systemd-analyze
systemd-analyze
Overview
What this command does
On Windows, "msconfig / systemd-analyze" is used to analyse system boot performance. On Linux, the closest practical mapping shown here is "systemd-analyze". Shows total boot time and which services took the longest to start. This reference is grouped under System & Storage → System.
Windows → Linux context
What changes when you use this on Linux?
Equivalent task, different tool
Windows msconfig / systemd-analyze maps to systemd-analyze for this task. Treat this as a workflow mapping rather than a character-for-character syntax translation.
Portable across the compared distros
The Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch rows use the same command in this mapping. Package availability or defaults can still vary, so check the installed tool version when an option behaves differently.
For the broader concept behind this mapping, read Linux disks, storage and mounts.
Practical tasks
Common use cases
Analyse system boot performance
Shows total boot time and which services took the longest to start.
systemd-analyze
Total boot time summary
systemd-analyze blame
Services sorted by startup time
systemd-analyze critical-chain
Show the boot critical path
Ready to run
Copyable Linux commands
Review paths, device names, package names and permissions before running any command.
systemd-analyze
systemd-analyze blame
Walkthrough
Examples with explanations
# Windows: msconfig → Boot tab
# How long did boot take?
systemd-analyze
Startup finished in 2.1s (kernel) + 8.9s (userspace)
# What's slowing it down?
systemd-analyze blame
4.2s snapd.service
2.1s NetworkManager-wait-online.service
Reference
Common options and variations
| Command or option | Use |
|---|---|
systemd-analyze | Total boot time summary |
systemd-analyze blame | Services sorted by startup time |
systemd-analyze critical-chain | Show the boot critical path |
systemd-analyze plot > boot.svg | Generate visual boot timeline |
Distro differences
Debian/Ubuntu vs Fedora vs Arch
Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch all use "systemd-analyze" for this mapping. The command syntax shown here is portable across the three rows, although installed versions and system defaults can still vary.
| Distribution | Package manager / base | Equivalent command | Difference to notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian/Ubuntu | same command | systemd-analyze |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Fedora | same command | systemd-analyze |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Arch | same command | systemd-analyze |
Same command on this distribution. |
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