"service __ restart" bash command isn't working

case1984 · 10-09-2003, 12:53 PM

There is probably a very simple answer to this question that I'm just not seeing 'cause I'm a total noob, but here goes:

If I'm in a Bash Shell (or midnight commander or linux console) logged in as root I can stop and start services all I want. If I am logged on as a user I can't. Even if I su root it still gives me the error message "bash: service: command not found"

I'm pretty sure there has got to be a way to fix this, but I'm not sure how.

TIA,
michael

quatsch · 10-09-2003, 12:55 PM

do
/sbin/service ...
as root. Or become root using
su -

case1984 · 10-09-2003, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by quatsch
do
/sbin/service ...
as root. Or become root using
su -

OK, yeah... I'm a moron I didn't realise su root and su - root are different.

but I don't know what this means "do
/sbin/service ..."
can someone explain?

Thanks,
michael

quatsch · 10-09-2003, 01:02 PM

e.g.
/sbin/service servicename start
instead of
service servicename start

when you just type in service, the system will look for service in your path. If it's not there, it will tell you 'command not found'. If you specify the path, e.g. /sbin/service, it will run the thing specified.

slightcrazed · 10-09-2003, 01:03 PM

After you su to root in a console, just type:

/sbin/service

and then the name of the service and then the action start/stop/restart.

slight

slightcrazed · 10-09-2003, 01:05 PM

sorry quatsch, simultaneous post.

slight

case1984 · 10-09-2003, 01:06 PM

alright thanks,
both of those work!

Dovid · 10-22-2007, 03:02 PM

Run man su. In there it says to do this:
su root -l
You should not have issues then (you wont need to go in to /sbin to do anything).

smithwicks · 04-10-2008, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by quatsch

e.g.
/sbin/service servicename start
instead of
service servicename start

when you just type in service, the system will look for service in your path. If it's not there, it will tell you 'command not found'. If you specify the path, e.g. /sbin/service, it will run the thing specified.

how do you add the 'service' to your path

dbmacartney · 04-10-2008, 02:35 PM

what you will find is that /sbin is not in your path. if you type in "echo $PATH" you will see your current path settings for the user that you are running the command for. if you run "echo $PATH" again but as the root user you will see that the root user has extra path settings. It is possible to modify your own path, but for most things you want to do, you can either type in /sbin/command for example if it is something quick you want to do. or alternatively, if you require root access, eg to install something or to modify your system in any way, you can use the sudo command. e.g. "sudo service network restart" if you wish to restart your networking service.