The systemd service manager is the backbone of nearly every Linux distribution today, making it an essential tool for any Linux enthusiast to understand. However, as you might expect, managing it is done entirely through the command line.
While this can be intimidating for beginners, it can also become tedious for advanced users who find themselves running the same commands over and over. But that’s about to change. Introducing isd—your new way to manage systemd with ease!
This is a completely new (but with a lot of potential) project. The first public version, 0.1, was released just a week ago, and it’s already gaining significant attention from Linux enthusiasts. Here’s a quick overview of what it brings to the table.
isd (interactive systemd) is an attractive, convenient, and powerful TUI-based (Text User Interface) tool written in Python, designed to simplify how users handle systemd units. It stands out by combining fuzzy search with a customizable UI and intelligent automation features, ultimately making systemd management more straightforward than ever before.
It is highly focused on the keyboard-driven workflow. For instance, you can quickly switch between system and user units using just a few keystrokes. Moreover, isd applies fuzzy search logic for filtering through units, meaning you do not need to recall exact names or paths—simply type a few letters, and the tool does the rest.
Another noteworthy feature is isd’s automatic handling of sudo privileges. Instead of frequently typing in sudo commands, isd detects when elevated permissions are required and gracefully inserts the prefix for you.
Also, when inspecting logs or configuration outputs, the tool conveniently lets you open them in either a pager or editor, thus providing a comfortable environment for casual lookups and in-depth analysis.
From a user-experience perspective, isd offers a fluid design that adapts to your terminal window size, ensuring you always have a clear view of your units. In addition, the interface automatically refreshes previews, eliminating the need for manual reloads.
It also provides a command palette complete with extensive keyboard shortcuts, and if you want to refine these shortcuts, you can configure them to your preference in a YAML file (“~/.config/isd/config.yaml“). The same YAML file supports auto-complete, which makes customization surprisingly user-friendly.
Furthermore, isd includes optional input state caching, so commonly used inputs are readily available, adding yet another layer of convenience to your workflow.
Finally, for users who enjoy tailoring the look and feel of their tools, isd supports theming. You can swap between different color schemes or create your own from scratch to reflect your taste.
Even though the tool is brand new, its developers have put in a lot of effort to refine it, and just yesterday, version 0.3 was released. Here’s what’s new and improved.
At the forefront of this release is the overhauled keybinding logic and configuration. Previous versions supported partially broken keybindings for older terminals, which often caused inconsistent behavior. Now, isd 0.3 embraces a modal-based action trigger that implements more widely supported defaults.
Although this may require users to adjust, the end result is expected to provide a smoother, more predictable experience. In fact, the project maintainers recommend deleting your old “~/.config/isd/config.yaml” file and regenerating it to avoid any legacy conflicts.
On a related note, direct systemctl actions—like starting or stopping a service without going through isd’s internal commands—now require explicit enabling. This ensures that advanced users maintain full flexibility, yet it offers new users a safer, more controlled environment.
Additionally, isd 0.3 actively checks for overlapping keybindings and raises an error whenever it encounters them.
The updated command palette now includes more descriptive help texts that clearly indicate each available keyboard shortcut. For anyone who relies on paging through logs or outputs, the new release offers pager fixes, such as a more widely adopted configuration for less, thereby ensuring better compatibility even with older versions.
The update also refines the way it handles templated services. Users may notice that these services are now “greyed out,” which helps convey the fact that their preview output is limited, apart from the “Cat” option.
Lastly, the tool has introduced a layer of basic error recovery: if isd cannot load the settings properly, an error message and a generated log will help users identify and resolve possible misconfiguration.
For more information, see the release’s changelog. The project’s documentation is here.
I’m sure isd has caught your attention, and you’re probably eager to try it out for yourself. If you’re an Arch Linux user, you’re lucky—it is now available in the AUR repo. For users on other Linux distros, the app is available as AppImage, which requires a graphical desktop environment to run.
However, considering the impressive potential of isd, it is only a matter of time before it becomes widely available across other distributions. I expect it’ll soon be offered as a native package for many other Linux distros, so keep a look at repos.
