Systemd is a core part of most Linux distributions today, but managing services from the command line with systemctl can feel intimidating, especially for newer users. That’s where a promising new project caught my attention: systemd-manager-tui.
Sure, the name isn’t exactly short. I mean, the author probably could have come up with something snappier. But to be fair, it couldn’t be more descriptive. You instantly know what the tool is about. Still, even with a name that clear, it’s worth taking a closer look at what it actually offers.
systemd-manager-tui is a relatively new Rust-written tool that provides an interactive text user interface for managing systemd units directly from the terminal. However, instead of relying solely on systemctl and related commands, the tool communicates with systemd via D-Bus and presents services, timers, sockets, and other units through a structured interface.
From within the TUI, users can start, stop, restart, enable, disable, mask, or unmask units without manually entering command-line flags.
The interface is keyboard-driven and designed for fast navigation. Units can be filtered and searched, and both system-wide and user session units are accessible. On top of that, a dedicated view allows inspection of unit properties, while integrated log access lets you review journal entries without switching to a separate command.
In the Reddit discussion, the maintainer confirmed that several requested capabilities are planned for future releases. These include the ability to create new systemd services directly from within the interface, rather than only managing existing ones, as well as expanded support for handling systemd timers alongside regular services.
Finally, I’d like to add that all my tests with systemd-manager-tui met expectations. The tool performed exactly as intended and reliably. I’m confident recommending that you give it a try yourself. systemd-manager-tui provides RPM and DEB packages for installation, available on the project’s GitHub page. Arch users can install it from AUR.
You can also download the precompiled binary, make it executable, and run it directly from the command line.
For more information, see the tool’s webpage on crates.io. You can also check out our article on ISD, a tool with a similar concept and functionality to systemd-manager-tui.
