Overview

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

status_of_proc() library function in lsb-base

DustinKirkland has worked with Debian to provide a status_of_proc() method in /lib/lsb/init-functions, which is provided by the lsb-base package. This function is fully integrated in Debian's lsb-3.2-14:

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

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

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

various init script callers

DustinKirkland has provided patches to the key service init scripts that are installable from the Ubuntu Server CD:

• at: wiki:247091

• bind9: wiki:247084

• cron: wiki:201504

• dovecot: wiki:247096

• openssh: wiki:247103

• samba: wiki:247087

• syslogkd: wiki:247106

OnnoBenschop has provided a script to detect, and compiled a list of init scripts that are lacking status action here:

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

Countless other init scripts could/should be patched to provide this functionality.

Patch Checklist

When you encounter an init script that 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
   • apt-get source FOO
   • sudo apt-get build-dep FOO
4. Locate the init script in the source tree, often:
   • 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 >= 3.2-12ubuntu3

   • if you're sending to Ubuntu
     • add the changelog entry referencing your Launchpad bug
6. Test your patched init script
   • 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 that did similar things.

   • See the patch for atd:

     • http://launchpadlibrarian.net/15924139/at.status.debdiff

   • Or, perhaps have a look at the patch for openssh-server, which passes a pidfile to status_of_proc():

     • http://launchpadlibrarian.net/15924489/openssh.status.debdiff

   • However, some are more complicated than others, such as samba:

     • http://launchpadlibrarian.net/15925572/samba.status.debdiff

10. Add your patch to the Launchpad bug you filed

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.

/etc/init.d/... init scripts with associated daemon(s)

1. acpid
2. bluetooth
3. bootlogd
4. brltty
5. dbus
6. dhcdbd
7. gdm
8. hal
9. kdm
10. mountall-bootclean.sh
11. mountall.sh
12. mountdevsubfs.sh
13. mountkernfs.sh
14. mountnfs-bootclean.sh
15. mountnfs.sh
16. mountoverflowtmp
17. mtab.sh
18. mysql
19. mysql-ndb
20. mysql-ndb-mgm
21. networking
22. openvpn
23. pcmciautils
24. policykit
25. powernowd
26. powernowd.early
27. pppd-dns
28. procps
29. pulseaudio
30. rc
31. rc.local
32. rcS
33. readahead
34. readahead-desktop
35. reboot
36. resolvconf
37. rmnologin
38. rsync
39. screen-cleanup
40. sendsigs
41. single
42. skeleton
43. stop-bootlogd
44. stop-bootlogd-single
45. stop-readahead
46. system-tools-backends
47. udev
48. udev-finish
49. umountfs
50. umountnfs.sh
51. umountroot
52. urandom
53. usplash
54. vbesave
55. winbind
56. wpa-ifupdown
57. xserver-xorg-input-wacom

/etc/init.d/... Non-daemon init scripts

No daemon, but detectable status

1. apport - no daemon, status should look at /proc/sys/kernel/core_pattern
2. binfmt-support - no daemon, status should check update-binfmts --display, perhaps
3. checkfs.sh - no daemon, but status could show the time/date/results of the last check
4. checkroot.sh - no daemon, but similar to checkfs.sh, perhaps?

No daemon

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