How to trim server start up services?

[l3ecl]

I've been playing with my server quite a while and I noticed that I have a lot more background services running. How do I prevent these services from starting automatically during boot?

[savanna]

Services are started using init scripts:

% runlevel
N 2

% ls /etc/rc2.d
(it's runlevel 2 so look in the rc2.d directory)

% cat /etc/rc2.d/README --> gives you some doco
The scripts in this directory are executed each time the system enters
this runlevel.
...


To stop services from running at startup, you can rename the S files to K files as per the README, or use update-rc.d. See man update-rc.d:

% man update-rc.d

NAME
update-rc.d - install and remove System-V style init script links

[Deuce1912]

You can also install "Boot Up Manager" for a graphical interface if that's easier and if you have a desktop manager for your server. (Some people do, and some people don't)

sudo apt-get install bum

then run bum and uncheck anything you don't need.

- Deuce1912

[l3ecl]

You can also install "Boot Up Manager" for a graphical interface if that's easier and if you have a desktop manager for your server. (Some people do, and some people don't)

sudo apt-get install bum

then run bum and uncheck anything you don't need.

- Deuce1912

Thank you for the suggestion but I'm using a really old computer as a server with limited memory and resources, I prefer not to have a desktop enviroment.

[l3ecl]

Services are started using init scripts:

% runlevel
N 2

% ls /etc/rc2.d
(it's runlevel 2 so look in the rc2.d directory)

% cat /etc/rc2.d/README --> gives you some doco
The scripts in this directory are executed each time the system enters
this runlevel.
...


To stop services from running at startup, you can rename the S files to K files as per the README, or use update-rc.d. See man update-rc.d:

% man update-rc.d

NAME
update-rc.d - install and remove System-V style init script links


I tried this approach but sometimes I see the same services in multiple rc.0-rc.6 folders. It's a bit confusing and complex, I prefer the simplicity of "boot up manager' but without the gui interface.

[kevdog]

Your server normally boots to runlevel 2, the 0-6 folders are for other run levels. You are usually not running within these run levels, so what ever is contained in these folders is ignored.

[ruffEdgz]

I tried this approach but sometimes I see the same services in multiple rc.0-rc.6 folders. It's a bit confusing and complex, I prefer the simplicity of "boot up manager' but without the gui interface.

The command 'update-rc.d' command isn't that complicated. You just need to know your services a bit more before using it.

For example:

I would like to disable my apache2 service so to complete this I would run this command:


sudo update-rc.d apache2 disable

This will make sure that each runlevel will not start up apache2 as i have requested (the result of disabling apache2 on my system below):


Disabling system startup links for /etc/init.d/apache2 ...
Removing any system startup links for /etc/init.d/apache2 ...
/etc/rc0.d/K20apache2
/etc/rc1.d/K20apache2
/etc/rc2.d/S20apache2
/etc/rc3.d/S20apache2
/etc/rc4.d/S20apache2
/etc/rc5.d/S20apache2
/etc/rc6.d/K20apache2
Adding system startup for /etc/init.d/apache2 ...
/etc/rc0.d/K20apache2 -> ../init.d/apache2
/etc/rc1.d/K20apache2 -> ../init.d/apache2
/etc/rc6.d/K20apache2 -> ../init.d/apache2
/etc/rc2.d/K80apache2 -> ../init.d/apache2
/etc/rc3.d/K80apache2 -> ../init.d/apache2
/etc/rc4.d/K80apache2 -> ../init.d/apache2
/etc/rc5.d/K80apache2 -> ../init.d/apache2

I hope you found the way a way that you feel is easy.

Cheers!