Master Linux Like a Pro: Dive into the 2026 RHEL Red Hat Challenge!

To check the status of a service in a modern RHEL Linux environment, the command `systemctl status [service_name]` is utilized. This command is part of the `systemd` system and service manager, which has replaced older service management tools in many Linux distributions, including RHEL.

Using `systemctl status [service_name]` offers detailed information about the service states, including whether it is running, inactive, or failed, along with logs and its process ID. This command provides a full overview of the service's present condition, making it a powerful tool for system administrators in diagnosing issues.

In contrast, while the command `service [service_name] status` might still be familiar to those who have worked with older systems that use SysVinit, it is not the standard command in more recent versions of RHEL that utilize systemd. The command `status [service_name]` is not valid, as it does not correspond to any recognized command for checking service status within Linux. Additionally, `chkconfig [service_name] --show` is primarily used to display the runlevel settings for services, rather than their current operational status.

This highlights the importance of using `systemctl` in contemporary RHEL environments for accurate