Service Manager

Service Manager is a cross-platform Electron application that offers a single, secure interface for discovering and managing system services on Linux (systemd), Windows (Service Control Manager), and macOS (launchd).

Installation

From npm

npm install -g @omnizs/service-manager
service-manager

From Source

git clone https://github.com/omnizs/Service-Manager.git
cd Service-Manager
npm install
npm run build
npm start

npm run build compiles the TypeScript sources into dist/, copies static renderer assets, and prepares the Electron entry point. The application will launch in an Electron window.

Running with Elevated Privileges

Service Manager can manage most services without elevated privileges, but some operations may require administrator/root access:

Windows

Automatic (v1.6.0+): The application automatically requests administrator privileges via UAC prompt when launched from the command line or npm start.

Alternative: Right-click the application executable and select "Run as administrator"

Note: You can bypass automatic elevation with the --no-elevation flag if needed.

macOS

sudo service-manager
# or use the --elevate flag
service-manager --elevate

Linux

sudo service-manager
# or use the --elevate flag
service-manager --elevate

Note: On Linux and macOS, the application will prompt for authentication (via pkexec or sudo) when performing privileged operations, even if not started with elevated privileges. However, starting with sudo prevents repeated authentication prompts.

Project Structure

• src/main/ – Electron main process, IPC wiring, and OS-specific service controllers (TypeScript).
• src/preload.ts – Secure bridge between the main and renderer processes.
• src/renderer/ – UI logic in TypeScript plus HTML/CSS assets.

OS Support Notes

• Linux: Requires systemd. Service control escalates via pkexec if permissions are insufficient.
• Windows: Uses PowerShell (Get-CimInstance, Start-Service, etc.). Run the app from an elevated shell to manage protected services.
• macOS: Interacts with launchctl. Some user agents may require manual permission grants.

Development

• npm start – Build the project (if needed) and launch Electron in development mode
• npm run build – Compile TypeScript sources and copy static assets to dist/
• npm run clean – Remove build artifacts
• Renderer auto-refreshes service data every 5 seconds. Use the Refresh button or Ctrl+R for manual updates

Keyboard Shortcuts

• Ctrl+R / Cmd+R - Refresh service list
• Ctrl+F / Cmd+F - Focus search input
• Escape - Clear service selection

Security

Service Manager includes comprehensive security enhancements:

• Context Isolation: The renderer operates with context isolation enabled; all privileged calls flow through controlled IPC handlers in the main process
• Input Validation: All service IDs, file paths, and user inputs are validated to prevent command injection attacks
• Rate Limiting: Service control operations are rate-limited (200ms cooldown) to prevent abuse
• Content Security Policy: Strict CSP headers prevent XSS and other injection attacks
• Path Sandboxing: File operations are restricted to whitelisted system directories
• Audit Logging: All privileged operations are logged with timestamps for accountability
• Error Sanitization: Error messages are sanitized to remove sensitive file paths and system information
• Credential Security: Elevated operations invoke native tooling (systemctl, powershell, launchctl) directly without storing credentials

Changelog

Version 2.6.5 (Latest)

New Features:

• Service Criticality Indicators: Visual indicators (⚠️ for critical, ⚡ for important) help identify system-essential services
  • Platform-aware detection for Windows, Linux (systemd), and macOS (launchd)
  • Comprehensive tooltips with criticality warnings, status, startup type, and description
  • Prevents accidental disruption of critical system services
• Enhanced Action Button Tooltips: Detailed descriptions for all service actions (start, stop, restart, enable, disable)
• Application Icon Redesign: Modern, vibrant icon with gradient-based design and improved visual clarity

Technical Improvements:

• New service criticality detection utility with platform-specific service lists
• Enhanced UI components with richer tooltip information
• Redesigned application icon with modern SVG elements

Version 2.5.2

Node.js Version Requirements Update:

• Updated Node.js engine requirement from >=18.0.0 to >=20.19.0 to align with Vite 7.x requirements
• Fixed GitHub Actions CI workflow to only test against compatible Node.js versions (20.x, 22.x, 24.x)
• Removed non-existent npm run webpack step from CI workflow

Note: This version requires Node.js 20.19+ or 22.12+ due to Vite 7.x dependencies.

Version 2.5.1

Bug Fixes:

• bin/service-manager.js: Removed invalid windowsHide property from Unix process spawn options which was causing potential issues on Linux/macOS
• bin/service-manager.js: Improved process.getuid check to use typeof for better type safety
• src/utils/errorHandler.ts: Fixed overly aggressive path sanitization regex that was incorrectly replacing legitimate text in error messages
• src/main/services/macos.ts: Replaced unsafe type casting in mapWithConcurrency error handler with a proper fallback mechanism
• src/main/main.ts: Implemented proper LRU cache eviction with OrderedCache class to ensure oldest entries are removed based on insertion order

Changed:

• src/main/services/macos.ts: Enhanced mapWithConcurrency function to accept optional fallback handler for more robust error handling

Version 2.5.0

Major Release:

• Incremental improvements and bug fixes
• Enhanced error handling and performance optimizations

Version 2.0.4

Critical Fix:

• Fixed "Cannot find module 'electron'" error when running globally installed package
• Moved Electron from devDependencies to dependencies for proper npm global installation

Version 2.0.3

Maintenance Release:

• Minor bug fixes and stability improvements
• Performance optimizations for service list rendering
• Updated dependencies to latest versions:
  • @types/node to v24.10.0
  • Electron to v39.0.0
• General code quality improvements

Version 2.0.2

Maintenance Release:

• Minor bug fixes and stability improvements
• Performance optimizations for service list rendering
• Updated dependencies to latest versions:
  • @types/node to v24.10.0
  • Electron to v39.0.0
• General code quality improvements

Version 2.0.1

Quick Update:

• Fixed merge conflicts in documentation
• All v2.0.0 improvements included

Version 2.0.0

Major UI Redesign - Minimalist Edition:

• Stopped services now displayed in red for immediate visibility
• Redesigned action buttons with colored backgrounds and better visual hierarchy
• Enhanced hover effects with subtle elevation

Backend Improvements:

• Enhanced Error Handling:
  • Added retry logic with exponential backoff for transient failures
  • Implemented circuit breaker pattern to prevent cascading failures
  • Categorized errors (Network, Permission, Timeout, etc.) for better UX
  • Added timeout protection for all operations (30s default)
  • Better error messages with sensitive path sanitization
• Performance Optimizations:
  • Improved caching with size limits and better invalidation
  • Map-based cache for multiple filter combinations
  • Circuit breaker for failing service operations
  • Configurable operation timeouts and rate limits
• Code Organization:
  • Centralized configuration in src/main/config.ts
  • Extracted error handling utilities to src/utils/errorHandler.ts
  • Better JSDoc documentation throughout
  • Enhanced type safety with error categories
  • Audit logging improvements

Major UI Redesign:

• Complete visual overhaul with ultra-minimalist, Scandinavian-inspired design
• Monochrome palette: Pure blacks, whites, and subtle grays with minimal accent color
• Abundant whitespace: Generous spacing for breathing room and clarity
• Flat design: Removed all gradients, shadows, and complex effects
• Simple typography: Consistent sizing, increased line-height (1.8), minimal font weights
• Subtle borders: Clean 1px borders only, no rounded corners or heavy effects
• Minimal animations: Removed ripple effects, kept only essential transitions
• Text-based status: Flat status badges with color-coded text
• Simplified header: Removed subtitle, flattened buttons, minimalist status indicator
• Clean table: List-style rows with border separators, no background colors
• Streamlined actions: Flat buttons with simple hover opacity changes
• Refined details panel: More whitespace, cleaner typography
• Professional aesthetic: Focuses user attention on content, not decoration

Design Philosophy: This release represents a fundamental shift toward minimalism - removing visual noise and embracing simplicity. Every element has been reconsidered with the question: "Is this essential?" The result is a clean, professional interface that prioritizes content and usability over decoration.

Version 1.6.0

Features:

• Automatic Windows Elevation: Application now automatically requests administrator privileges on Windows via UAC prompt
• Virtual Scrolling: Dramatically improved performance for large service lists (500+ services)
  • Only renders visible rows plus buffer
  • 70-80% reduction in DOM nodes for large datasets
  • Smooth scrolling performance maintained even with thousands of services
• Enhanced Animations: Added smooth microinteractions and visual feedback throughout the UI
  • Ripple effects on button clicks
  • Smooth fade-in animations for table rows
  • Improved transition effects
• Better Accessibility: Enhanced focus indicators and keyboard navigation support
• Performance Monitoring: Real-time load time display in footer
• Skeleton Loading States: CSS framework for skeleton loading screens (future use)

Performance Improvements:

• Virtual scrolling automatically enabled for lists with 500+ items
• Optimized re-rendering with requestAnimationFrame
• Reduced memory footprint with intelligent row recycling
• Faster table updates with improved DOM manipulation

UI/UX Enhancements:

• Added ripple effect animations on action buttons
• Improved scrollbar styling with smooth hover transitions
• Better focus states for keyboard navigation
• Enhanced visual feedback for user interactions
• Smooth scroll behavior in table container

Developer Experience:

• Better TypeScript type safety in renderer
• Improved code organization for virtual scrolling
• JSDoc comments for new functions
• Cleaner separation of rendering modes (pagination vs virtual scrolling)

Version 1.5.2

Features:

• Added automatic elevated privilege detection on startup
• Display warning dialog if not running with administrator/root privileges
• Added --elevate flag for easy elevation on Unix-like systems
• Created Windows manifest file for requesting administrator privileges
• Improved documentation for running with elevated privileges

Changes:

• Application now checks privilege level on startup and warns users
• Users can choose to continue without elevation or exit to restart with proper privileges
• Added platform-specific privilege guidance in warning dialogs

Version 1.5.1

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed PowerShell encoding issues on Windows (UTF-8 handling for non-English error messages)
• Improved error message handling for Windows services with proper encoding
• Added $ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop' to catch PowerShell errors correctly

Version 1.5.0

Security Enhancements:

• Added comprehensive input validation for service IDs, paths, and search queries
• Implemented rate limiting (200ms cooldown) for service control operations
• Added Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to prevent XSS attacks
• Enhanced PowerShell command escaping for Windows services
• Added path sandboxing with whitelisted directories for file operations
• Implemented audit logging for privileged operations
• Sanitized error messages to remove sensitive information

Performance Improvements:

• Implemented 500ms caching for service list to reduce redundant calls
• Optimized table rendering with DocumentFragment (30-40% faster)
• Reduced search debounce time from 180ms to 150ms for better responsiveness
• Added intelligent polling that pauses when window is not focused

Bug Fixes:

• Fixed polling timer cleanup and memory leaks in renderer
• Fixed race conditions in concurrent service refresh operations
• Improved error handling with user-friendly messages across all platforms
• Better detection of systemd availability on Linux
• Enhanced permission error handling on macOS

Dependency Updates:

• Updated Electron to v35.7.5 (secure version without ASAR vulnerabilities)
• Updated TypeScript to v5.7.2
• Updated @types/node to v22.10.2
• Updated rimraf to v6.0.1

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

License

MIT