What is the command to start, stop, or restart Nginx?
Jun 18, 2025 am 12:05 AMTo start, stop or restart Nginx, the specific commands depend on the system type and installation method. 1. For modern systems using systemd (such as Ubuntu 16.04, Debian 8, CentOS 7), you can use: sudo systemctl start nginx, sudo systemctl stop nginx, sudo systemctl restart nginx, and use sudo systemctl reload nginx after configuration changes; 2. For old systems using SysVinit, use the service commands: sudo service nginx start, sudo service nginx stop, sudo service nginx restart and sudo service nginx reload; 3. If it is a custom installation or compiled from the source code, you need to directly call the Nginx binary, such as: sudo /usr/local/nginx/sbin/nginx start, sudo /usr/local/nginx/sbin/nginx -s stop stop, sudo /usr/local/nginx/sbin/nginx -s reload configuration. If you are not sure about the service name or path, you can find relevant information through systemctl list-units | grep nginx, which nginx, or find / -name nginx.
Starting, stopping, or restarting Nginx is a common task when managing a web server. The exact command you use depends on how Nginx was installed and what system you're running it on.
Check Your System Type
Before jumping into commands, it's good to know whether your system uses systemd (most modern Linux distributions) or init.d (older systems). You can usually tell by trying one of the commands below and seeing if it responds without error.
How to Start, Stop, or Restart Nginx on systemd Systems
If you're on a system like Ubuntu 16.04 , Debian 8 , or CentOS 7 , it likely uses systemd , which manages services through the systemctl
command.
Here are the basic commands:
-
To start Nginx:
sudo systemctl start nginx
To stop Nginx:
sudo systemctl stop nginx
To restart Nginx:
sudo systemctl restart nginx
You can also reload Nginx without fully restarting it — useful after configuration changes:
sudo systemctl reload nginx
Note: If you get an error like "Failed to restart nginx.service: Unit nginx.service not found", it might mean Nginx isn't installed correctly or your service name is different (eg,
nginx.service
vsnginx
). Try checking withsystemctl list-units | grep nginx
.
For Older Systems Using init.d
On older systems that use SysVinit , you'll typically manage Nginx using the service
command.
Here's what you'd run:
To start Nginx:
sudo service nginx start
To stop Nginx:
sudo service nginx stop
To restart Nginx:
sudo service nginx restart
And again, for reloading:
sudo service nginx reload
These commands assume the Nginx init script is properly set up under /etc/init.d/nginx
. If not, you may need to look at manual control via the Nginx binary.
What If Those Don't Work?
Sometimes you're working on a custom setup or compiling from source. In those cases, there won't be a service file — you'll have to manage it directly using the Nginx binary.
Here are some alternative commands you might try:
Start Nginx manually:
sudo /usr/local/nginx/sbin/nginx
Stop or restart gracefully:
sudo /usr/local/nginx/sbin/nginx -s stop # Fast shutdown sudo /usr/local/nginx/sbin/nginx -s reload # Reload config
The exact path will vary depending on where you installed it. You can often find the correct location by looking at your installation notes or checking with:
which nginx
or
find / -name nginx 2>/dev/null
So, in short, the most common way is using systemctl
for modern systems. But depending on your environment, you might need to use service
, or even call the binary directly.
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