🔍 CLI Tools to See Background Services (the Cool Girl Terminal Way)
🧙♀️ ps aux
This is the classic spell for peeking into the underworld of processes.
ps aux
- Lists all processes.
- USER, PID, %CPU, %MEM, and the command path.
- Pipe it to less or grep for sanity.
Example: See what’s using Postgres
ps aux | grep postgres
top / htop (More Visual)
top: Built-in, real-time process overview.
htop: Fancy, colored, scrollable version. (You will want this.)
htop
Install it with:
sudo apt install htop # Debian-based
# or
sudo xbps-install -S htop # Void Linux
Use F10 to exit, arrow keys to scroll, and F9 to send kill signals like a Linux grim reaper.
🧼 List Only Services
🚫 systemd:
If you're on a systemd-based distro (not Void, so skip this if you're on musl Void), use:
systemctl list-units --type=service
☠️ runit (Void Linux)
If you're using Void: you’re blessed. You get runit, not that systemd drama.
To list services:
sv status /var/service/*
Each service will say run if active.
You can stop services with:
sudo sv stop <service>
Start them:
sudo sv start <service>