> status
> print the current status of the service
It might be good to say what it must include. Also you might want a
machine testable version so you can do
if { foo-server running } ; then
whatever &
else
echo "You do not appear to be running the foo-server"
echo "barengine will not be started"
fi
> These executable files should not fail obscurely when the configuration
> files remain but the package has been removed, as the default in [the
This is problematic
Ok the flaws in my opinion:
1. It assumes everything is a service. Some things are run at boot time
only - for example firmware loaders for cards.
[Allow such things to not support anything but 'start']
2. It assumes the script is tied to a binary and the script might
remain. At least one of my firmware loaders is a dd script...
[Either remove scripts or retire them to an attic directory]
3. It doesn't specify an exit code for success/failure/serious error
[Specify the obvious]
4. It needs to say what sort of info "status" returns. A compliant script
is entitled to write witty poems right now.
[name, state, version, if possible what config file it is using
5. It needs to address name space collisions
[Tie the script to the lsb package name ? This also makes it easier
for the end user]
6. Consistant output formats.
Define an includable file that provides functions
start_daemon has been mentioned already
add
copyright "x"
Print a copyright banner in the format used by this platform
doing "xyz"
Print the first part of a line with a message indicating what is
being attempted
did_fail
did_success
did_warning
Print the [ OK ] [ WARNING ] [ ERROR ] type end of line messages
or any other format the distribution has chosen.
log_error app string
Log an error to the system startup log only if applicable.
This all helps to ensure that the vendors release packages that look and feel
like the OS vendors packages and makes it easier for them as it does so.
So you'd see something like
copright "VideoMachine (c) Copyright 1999 The Banana Company"
doing "Starting the VMachine"
if [ -f /etc/vmachine.boot ] ; then
if { start_daemon /usr/bin/vmachine } ; then
did_success
exit 0
fi
else
log_error $0 "vmachine.boot has been deleted ?"
fi
did_fail
and will match on any platform.
Alan
