Windows PowerShell Get-Service equivalent in Linux
Shows loaded services and their current active, inactive or failed state.
PowerShell Get-Service
systemctl list-units --type=service
systemctl list-units --type=service
systemctl list-units --type=service
Overview
What this command does
On Windows, "PowerShell Get-Service" is used to list system services. On Linux, the closest practical mapping shown here is "systemctl list-units --type=service". Shows loaded services and their current active, inactive or failed state. This reference is grouped under PowerShell Equivalents → Services.
Windows → Linux context
What changes when you use this on Linux?
Equivalent task, different tool
Windows PowerShell Get-Service maps to systemctl list-units --type=service 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 PowerShell vs Bash.
Practical tasks
Common use cases
List system services
Shows loaded services and their current active, inactive or failed state.
systemctl list-units --type=service
List active service units
systemctl list-units --type=service --all
Include inactive services
systemctl --failed
Show failed units
Ready to run
Copyable Linux commands
Review paths, device names, package names and permissions before running any command.
systemctl list-units --type=service
systemctl list-units --type=service --all
systemctl --failed
Walkthrough
Examples with explanations
systemctl list-units --type=service # list service units
systemctl list-units --type=service --all # include inactive services
systemctl --failed # show failed services
Reference
Common options and variations
| Command or option | Use |
|---|---|
systemctl list-units --type=service | List active service units |
systemctl list-units --type=service --all | Include inactive services |
systemctl --failed | Show failed units |
Distro differences
Debian/Ubuntu vs Fedora vs Arch
The command "systemctl list-units --type=service" is the same in all three rows, while package or base details differ: Debian/Ubuntu uses apt + systemd; Fedora uses dnf + systemd; Arch uses pacman + systemd.
| Distribution | Package manager / base | Equivalent command | Difference to notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian/Ubuntu | apt + systemd | systemctl list-units --type=service |
Same systemctl/journalctl syntax on systemd-based Debian and Ubuntu systems. |
| Fedora | dnf + systemd | systemctl list-units --type=service |
Same command syntax; service names can differ by package. |
| Arch | pacman + systemd | systemctl list-units --type=service |
Same command syntax; enable services explicitly after package installation. |
Keep learning