What is the purpose of the 'systemctl' command?

The 'systemctl' command is an essential tool in the management of system services and units in Linux. It interfaces with the system's init system, primarily systemd, which is used to boot and manage system services. The main purpose of 'systemctl' is to control the state of the services, often referred to as daemons, and to handle various system units, including service files, socket files, timer files, and target files.

With 'systemctl', users can start, stop, enable, disable, and check the status of services, making it a powerful command for system administrators to maintain and troubleshoot server functions. For example, executing 'systemctl start httpd' would start the Apache HTTP server service, while 'systemctl status httpd' would provide information about its current running state.

This command allows for fine-tuning service management, contributing to a well-maintained and efficiently running system. Its functionality extends to other unit types as well, allowing comprehensive control over system operations, which is why it is recognized specifically for managing services and units.