Ubuntu Wiki

Background

The LSB suggests that init scripts provide a status action:

• http://refspecs.freestandards.org/LSB_3.1.0/LSB-Core-generic/LSB-Core-generic/iniscrptact.html

DustinKirkland worked with Debian to [http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=490095 provide a method],  status_of_proc() , in /lib/lsb/init-functions, in the [http://packages.qa.debian.org/l/lsb.html lsb-base] library package. This function is fully integrated in Intrepid as of [https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/lsb lsb-3.2-14].

Adding status actions to init scripts

Numerous init scripts should be patched to call  status_of_proc()  and provide a status action. A simple recipe follows for adding such functionality.

Patch Checklist

When you encounter an init script that [https://wiki.ubuntu.com/InitScriptStatusActions#head-75448d0a482c28a007476b3be2394d9db3213662 lacks a status action]:

1. Determine the source package

   •  dpkg -S /etc/init.d/FOO 

2. Open a bug in Launchpad against the package

   • http://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/FOO/+filebug

3. Grab the source and build dependencies

   •  apt-get source FOO 

   •  sudo apt-get build-dep FOO 

4. Locate the init script in the source tree, sometimes

   •  debian/*.init 

   •  debian/rc 

5. Patch the source to
   • have the init script call status_of_proc()
   • have the init script add "status" to the usage statement

   • add a dependency in debian/control for lsb-base >= 3.2-14

   • add the changelog entry referencing your Launchpad bug, (LP: #999999)
6. Test your patched init script for the new functionality and regressions

   •  sh debian/FOO.init status; echo $? 

   •  sudo sh debian/FOO.init stop 

   •  sh debian/FOO.init status; echo $? 

   •  sudo sh debian/FOO.init start 

   •  sh debian/FOO.init status; echo $? 

7. Build a source package

   •  debuild -S 

8. Generate a patch

   •  debdiff 

9. Compare your work to some of the other patches

   • [http://launchpadlibrarian.net/15924139/at.status.debdiff atd]

   • [http://launchpadlibrarian.net/15936081/openssh.status.debdiff openssh-server]

10. Add your patch to the Launchpad bug you filed, mark as In Progress

11. Subscribe kirkland, and (ubuntu-main-sponsors or ubuntu-universe-sponsors) as appropriate

12. For bonus points, file a bug in Debian, and work the patch back upstream!

Init Scripts that Need a Status Action

The following is a crude list of init scripts in Intrepid that are lacking a "status" action. I say "crude" in that this list was generated on 2008-07-21 by installing the Intrepid Ubuntu (server, ubuntu-desktop, kubuntu-desktop, xubuntu-desktop), and grepping through /etc/init.d for scripts that lacked the string "status)". Please help improve this list by adding/removing init scripts to/from this list, and linking to a bug number. Please leave an informative note in this wiki page's changelog.

You can run  dpkg -S /etc/init.d/...  to determine the source package of any of the following scripts.

Init scripts with daemon(s)

/etc/init.d/...

1. acpid

2. at: wiki:247091 (FIXED)

3. bind9: wiki:247084 (Patch submitted, awaiting main sponsorship)

4. bip: wiki:251287 (Patch submitted, awaiting universe sponsorship), [http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=492126 Debian #492126]

5. bluetooth
6. bootlogd
7. brltty

8. cron: wiki:201504 (FIXED)

9. dbus
10. dhcdbd

11. dovecot: wiki:247096 (FIXED)

12. gdm: wiki:251375 (Debdiff Uploaded, awaiting revision)

13. hal
14. kdm
15. mysql
16. mysql-ndb
17. mysql-ndb-mgm

18. mythtv-backend wiki:251325 (Patch submitted, awaiting universe sponsorship)

19. openvpn

20. openssh: wiki:247103 (FIXED)

21. powernowd
22. pulseaudio (Be careful with this one: the default for desktop installs is via session, not via this initscript.)

23. rsync: wiki:251320 (Patch submitted, awaiting main sponsorship), [http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=492138 Debian #492138]

24. samba: wiki:247087 (Patch submitted, awaiting main sponsorship)

25. squid: wiki:251299 (Patch submitted, awaiting main sponsorship), [http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=492131 Debian #492131]

26. sysklogd: wiki:247106 (FIXED)

27. system-tools-backends
28. usplash

29. winbind: wiki:247087 (Patch submitted, awaiting main sponsorship)

Init scripts without daemon(s)

No daemon, but detectable status

The following init scripts do not have an associated daemon, however, they do perform actions on the system which could be algorithmically checked. I'm noting some suggested items that could be checked in a 'status' action.

/etc/init.d/...

1. apport - status should look at /proc/sys/kernel/core_pattern
2. binfmt-support - status should check update-binfmts --display, perhaps
3. checkfs.sh - status could show the time/date/results of the last check
4. checkroot.sh - similar to checkfs.sh, perhaps?
5. mountoverflowtmp - status could check the tmp mountpoint
6. networking - status could check network connectivity
7. pcmciautils - status could check lsmod for needed modules
8. policykit - status could check directory existence and permissions
9. rmnologin - status could check /var/lib/initscripts/nologin
10. screen-cleanup - status could check /var/run/screen
11. single - status could check if in single user mode or not
12. skeleton - the skeleton init script itself should be enhanced to have a status action!
13. urandom - status could check /dev/urandom

No daemon

The following init scripts do not have an associated deamon. On initial review of the code, a 'status' action for these scripts does not necessarily make sense. If you have an idea of a sensible status action, please note the suggestion and move the item to the list above (detectable status).

/etc/init.d/...

1. acpi-support
2. alsa-utils
3. bootmisc.sh
4. console-screen.sh
5. console-setup
6. dns-clean
7. glibc.sh
8. halt
9. hostname.sh
10. hotkey-setup
11. hwclockfirst.sh
12. hwclock.sh
13. keyboard-setup
14. killprocs
15. loopback
16. module-init-tools
17. mountall-bootclean.sh
18. mountall.sh
19. mountdevsubfs.sh
20. mountkernfs.sh
21. mountnfs-bootclean.sh
22. mountnfs.sh
23. mythtv-status
24. powernowd.early
25. pppd-dns
26. procps
27. rc
28. rc.local
29. rcS
30. readahead
31. readahead-desktop
32. reboot
33. resolvconf
34. sendsigs
35. stop-bootlogd
36. stop-bootlogd-single
37. stop-readahead
38. umountfs
39. umountnfs.sh
40. umountroot
41. vbesave
42. wpa-ifupdown
43. xserver-xorg-input-wacom

References

1. http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=490095

2. http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=483285

3. http://packages.qa.debian.org/l/lsb.html

4. https://wiki.ubuntu.com/OnnoBenschop/ubuntu-server/init.d-status