how to use start-stop-daemon to execute a process

[ndefontenay]

Hi,

I've just installed subversion.
I need to create a script /etc/init.d/svnserve that will start at boot time.

I want to use start-stop-daemon --start so I can track my process and eventually kill it using start-stop-daemon --stop

My problem is that I can't get it to work and the documentation shows no exemple.

I've created a variable DAEMON as such
DAEMON=svnserve -d -R -r $REPO_ROOT

I've tried start-stop-daemon this way:
start-stop-daemon --start --quiet --oknodo --exec $DAEMON

I get the error start-stop-daemon: option '--exec' requires an argument.

I've replaced $DAEMON by the whole line: svnserve -d -R -r $REPO_ROOT
and got -d is not an option.

I'm not quite sure what to do at that point. If someone has some experience with start-stop-daemon it would be great.

Nico

[the_original_billq]

Hi,

I've just installed subversion.
I need to create a script /etc/init.d/svnserve that will start at boot time.

I want to use start-stop-daemon --start so I can track my process and eventually kill it using start-stop-daemon --stop

My problem is that I can't get it to work and the documentation shows no exemple.

I've created a variable DAEMON as such
DAEMON=svnserve -d -R -r $REPO_ROOT

I've tried start-stop-daemon this way:
start-stop-daemon --start --quiet --oknodo --exec $DAEMON

I get the error start-stop-daemon: option '--exec' requires an argument.

I've replaced $DAEMON by the whole line: svnserve -d -R -r $REPO_ROOT
and got -d is not an option.

I'm not quite sure what to do at that point. If someone has some experience with start-stop-daemon it would be great.

Nico

Nico,

You may need to export DAEMON in order for start-stop-daemon to pick it up. You don't really say how you're setting it, but if it's in a script, it will need to be exported.

You also need to use "-- snserve -d -R -r $REPO_ROOT" (without the quotes) so start-stop-daemon doesn't think -d -R -r $REPO_ROOT are all options it needs to act upon.

HTH,

-Bill

[ndefontenay]

Thanks a lot Bill.

I'm going to try it that way :)

[dazz100]

Hi
I had the same problem. The solution is to split the <command> and <arguments>.
The <command> goes after the “-exec” and the arguments go after the “—“.

Note that it is important to include a space before the “-c” argument. If this space is left out, the argument will be mis-interpreted as “---c” instead of “-- -c”.


Below are extracts of my /etc/init.d/ script showing a working example.


DAEMON=/usr/bin/motion2
DAEMONARGS=" -c /etc/motion2/motion2.conf" # Important : leave space before first argument
…

if start-stop-daemon --start --oknodo --exec $DAEMON -b --chuid motion --$DAEMONARGS; then
log_end_msg 0
else
log_end_msg 1
RET=1
fi


It took me a while to figure out the importance of the space. Google returned a number of discussions about start-stop-daemon misinterpreting arguments.

The space can be added in the variable (as I have done) or between the "--" and the variable.
eg. "-- $ARGS"

I tried all sorts of combinations of quote marks and \ / slashes. The added space fixed my problem.

Dazz