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 status_of_proc() method] 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 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. at: wiki:247091 (FIXED)

3. bind9: wiki:247084 (FIXED)

4. bip - (not in main, but a pet peeve of mine when it goes down, would like a status action)
5. bluetooth
6. bootlogd
7. brltty

8. cron: wiki:201504 (FIXED)

9. dbus
10. dhcdbd

11. dovecot: wiki:247096 (FIXED)

12. gdm
13. hal
14. kdm
15. mysql
16. mysql-ndb
17. mysql-ndb-mgm
18. openvpn

19. openssh: wiki:247103 (FIXED)

20. powernowd
21. pulseaudio
22. rsync

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

24. squid

25. sysklogd: wiki:247106 (FIXED)

26. system-tools-backends
27. usplash

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

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

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.

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).

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. powernowd.early
24. pppd-dns
25. procps
26. rc
27. rc.local
28. rcS
29. readahead
30. readahead-desktop
31. reboot
32. resolvconf
33. sendsigs
34. stop-bootlogd
35. stop-bootlogd-single
36. stop-readahead
37. umountfs
38. umountnfs.sh
39. umountroot
40. vbesave
41. wpa-ifupdown
42. 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