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OpenRC Service Script Writing Guide
===================================

This document is aimed at developers or packagers who write [OpenRC](openrc.md) service scripts, either for their own projects, or for the packages they maintain. It contains advice, suggestions, tips, tricks, hints, and counsel; cautions, warnings, heads-ups, admonitions, proscriptions, enjoinders, and reprimands.

It is intended to prevent common mistakes that are found "in the wild" by pointing out those mistakes and suggesting alternatives.  Each good/bad thing that you should/not do has a section devoted to it. We don't consider anything exotic, and assume that you will use `start-stop-daemon` to manage a fairly typical long-running UNIX process.

# Syntax of Service Scripts
Service scripts are [shell](../applications/cli/Shell.md) scripts. [OpenRC](openrc.md) aims at using only the standardized POSIX sh subset for portability reasons. The default interpreter (build-time toggle) is `/bin/sh`, so using for example mksh is not a problem.

[OpenRC](openrc.md) has been tested with busybox sh, ash, dash, [bash](../applications/cli/bash.md), mksh, [zsh](../applications/cli/zsh.md) and possibly others. Using busybox sh has been difficult as it replaces commands with builtins that don't offer the expected features.

The interpreter for service scripts is `#!/sbin/openrc-run`.
Not using this interpreter will break the use of dependencies and is not supported. (iow: if you insist on using `#!/bin/sh` you're on your own)

A `depend` function declares the dependencies of this service script.
All scripts must have start/stop/status functions, but defaults are provided and should be used unless you have a very strong reason not to use them.

Extra functions can be added easily:
```shell
extra_commands="checkconfig"
checkconfig() {
	doSomething
}
```

This exports the checkconfig function so that `/etc/init.d/someservice checkconfig` will be available, and it "just" runs this function.

While commands defined in `extra_commands` are always available, commands defined in `extra_started_commands` will only work when the service is started and those defined in `extra_stopped_commands` will only work when the service is stopped. This can be used for implementing graceful reload and similar behaviour.

Adding a restart function will not work, this is a design decision within [OpenRC](openrc.md). Since there may be dependencies involved (e.g. network -> apache) a restart function is in general not going to work. restart is internally mapped to `stop()` + `start()` (plus handling dependencies).
If a service needs to behave differently when it is being restarted vs started or stopped, it should test the `$RC_CMD` variable, for example:

```shell
[ "$RC_CMD" = restart ] && do_something
```

# The Depend Function
This function declares the dependencies for a service script. This determines the order the service scripts start.

```shell
depend() {
	need net
	use dns logger netmount
	want coolservice
}
```

- `need` declares a hard dependency - net always needs to be started before this service does
- `use` is a soft dependency - if dns, logger or netmount is in this runlevel start it before, but we don't care if it's not in this runlevel.
- `want` is between need and use - try to start coolservice if it is installed on the system, regardless of whether it is in the runlevel, but we don't care if it starts.
- `before` declares that we need to be started before another service
- `after` declares that we need to be started after another service, without creating a dependency (so on calling stop the two are independent)
- `provide` allows multiple implementations to provide one service type, e.g.: `provide cron` is set in all [cron](cron.md)-daemons, so any one of them started satisfies a cron dependency
- `keyword` allows platform-specific overrides, e.g. `keyword -lxc` makes this service script a noop in lxc containers. Useful for things like keymaps, module loading etc. that are either platform-specific or not available in containers/virtualization/...

# The Default Functions
All service scripts are assumed to have the following functions:
```shell
start()
stop()
status()
```

There are default implementations in `lib/rc/sh/openrc-run.sh` - this allows very compact service scripts. These functions can be overridden per service script as needed.

The default functions assume the following variables to be set in the service script:

```shell
command=
command_args=
pidfile=
```

Thus the 'smallest' service scripts can be half a dozen lines long

## Don't write your own start/stop functions
[OpenRC](openrc.md) is capable of stopping and starting most daemons based on the information that you give it. For a well-behaved daemon that backgrounds itself and writes its own PID file by default, the following [OpenRC](openrc.md) variables are likely all that you'll need:
  - command
  - command_args
  - pidfile
Given those three pieces of information, [OpenRC](openrc.md) will be able to start and stop the daemon on its own. The following is taken from an [OpenNTPD](http://www.openntpd.org/) service script:

```sh
command="/usr/sbin/ntpd"

# The special RC_SVCNAME variable contains the name of this service.
pidfile="/run/${RC_SVCNAME}.pid"
command_args="-p ${pidfile}"
```

If the daemon runs in the foreground by default but has options to background itself and to create a pidfile, then you'll also need
  - command_args_background
That variable should contain the flags needed to background your daemon, and to make it write a PID file. Take for example the following snippet of an [NRPE](https://github.com/NagiosEnterprises/nrpe) service script:

```sh
command="/usr/bin/nrpe"
command_args="--config=/etc/nagios/nrpe.cfg"
command_args_background="--daemon"
pidfile="/run/${RC_SVCNAME}.pid"
```

Since NRPE runs as *root* by default, it needs no special permissions to write to `/run/nrpe.pid`. [OpenRC](openrc.md) takes care of starting and stopping the daemon with the appropriate arguments, even passing the `--daemon` flag during startup to force NRPE into the background (NRPE knows how to write its own PID file).

But what if the daemon isn't so well behaved? What if it doesn't know how to background itself or create a pidfile? If it can do neither, then use, `command_background=true`

which will additionally pass `--make-pidfile` to `start-stop-daemon`, causing it to create the `$pidfile` for you (rather than the daemon itself being responsible for creating the PID file).

If your daemon doesn't know how to change its own user or group, then you can tell start-stop-daemon to launch it as an unprivileged user with
- `command_user="user:group"`

If your daemon should run with specific inheritable, ambient and bounding capabilities, then you can tell start-stop-daemon to launch it with
- `capabilities="cap-list"`

The format is the same as in cap_iab(3). (Only on [Linux](Linux.md))

For example, to start the daemon with ambient and inheritable `cap_chown`, but without `cap_setpcap` in the bounding set, use the following value:
```sh
capabilities="^cap_chown,!cap_setpcap"
```

Finally, if your daemon always forks into the background but fails to create a PID file, then your only option is to use
- procname

With `procname`, [OpenRC](openrc.md) will try to find the running daemon by matching the name of its process. That's not so reliable, but daemons shouldn't background themselves without creating a PID file in the first place. The next example is part of the [CANetConsoleDaemon](https://oss.oracle.com/projects/cancd/) service script:
```sh
command="/usr/sbin/cancd"
command_args="-p ${CANCD_PORT}
              -l ${CANCD_LOG_DIR}
              -o ${CANCD_LOG_FORMAT}"
command_user="cancd"

# cancd daemonizes itself, but doesn't write a PID file and doesn't
# have an option to run in the foreground. So, the best we can do
# is try to match the process name when stopping it.
procname="cancd"
```

To recap, in order of preference:
1. If the daemon backgrounds itself and creates its own PID file, use `pidfile`.
2. If the daemon does not background itself (or has an option to run in the foreground) and does not create a PID file, then use `command_background=true` and `pidfile`.
3. If the daemon backgrounds itself and does not create a PID file, use `procname` instead of `pidfile`. But, if your daemon has the option to run in the foreground, then you should do that instead (that would be the case in the previous item).
4. The last case, where the daemon does not background itself but does create a PID file, doesn't make much sense. If there's a way to disable the daemon's PID file (or, to write it straight into the garbage), then do that, and use `command_background=true`.

## Reloading your daemon's configuration
Many daemons will reload their configuration files in response to a signal. Suppose your daemon will reload its configuration in response to a `SIGHUP`. It's possible to add a new "reload" command to your service script that performs this action. First, tell the service script about the new command.
```sh
extra_started_commands="reload"
```

We use `extra_started_commands` as opposed to `extra_commands` because the "reload" action is only valid while the daemon is running (that is, started). Now, start-stop-daemon can be used to send the signal to the appropriate process (assuming you've defined the `pidfile` variable elsewhere):
```sh
reload() {
  ebegin "Reloading ${RC_SVCNAME}"
  start-stop-daemon --signal HUP --pidfile "${pidfile}"
  eend $?
}
```

## Don't restart/reload with a broken config
Often, users will start a daemon, make some configuration change, and then attempt to restart the daemon. If the recent configuration change contains a mistake, the result will be that the daemon is stopped but then cannot be started again (due to the configuration error). It's possible to prevent that situation with a function that checks for configuration errors, and a combination of the `start_pre` and `stop_pre` hooks.
```sh
checkconfig() {
  # However you want to check this...
}

start_pre() {
  # If this isn't a restart, make sure that the user's config isn't
  # busted before we try to start the daemon (this will produce
  # better error messages than if we just try to start it blindly).
  #
  # If, on the other hand, this *is* a restart, then the stop_pre
  # action will have ensured that the config is usable and we don't
  # need to do that again.
  if [ "${RC_CMD}" != "restart" ] ; then
    checkconfig || return $?
  fi
}

stop_pre() {
  # If this is a restart, check to make sure the user's config
  # isn't busted before we stop the running daemon.
  if [ "${RC_CMD}" = "restart" ] ; then
      checkconfig || return $?
  fi
}
```

To prevent a *reload* with a broken config, keep it simple:

```sh
reload() {
  checkconfig || return $?
  ebegin "Reloading ${RC_SVCNAME}"
  start-stop-daemon --signal HUP --pidfile "${pidfile}"
  eend $?
}
```

## PID files should be writable only by root
PID files must be writable only by *root*, which means additionally that they must live in a *root*-owned directory. This directory is normally /run under [Linux](Linux.md) and /var/run under other operating systems.

Some daemons run as an unprivileged user account, and create their PID files (as the unprivileged user) in a path like `/var/run/foo/foo.pid`. That can usually be exploited by the unprivileged user to kill *root* processes, since when a service is stopped, *root* usually sends a SIGTERM to the contents of the PID file (which are controlled by the unprivileged user). The main warning sign for that problem is using `checkpath` to set ownership on the directory containing the PID file. For example,
```sh
# BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD
start_pre() {
  # Ensure that the pidfile directory is writable by the foo user/group.
  checkpath --directory --mode 0700 --owner foo:foo "/var/run/foo"
}
# BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD
```

If the *foo* user owns `/var/run/foo`, then he can put whatever he wants in the `/var/run/foo/foo.pid` file. Even if *root* owns the PID file, the *foo* user can delete it and replace it with his own. To avoid security concerns, the PID file must be created as *root* and live in a *root*-owned directory. If your daemon is responsible for forking and writing its own PID file but the PID file is still owned by the unprivileged runtime user, then you may have an upstream issue.

Once the PID file is being created as *root* (before dropping privileges), it can be written directly to a *root*-owned directory.  For example, the *foo* daemon might write `/var/run/foo.pid`. No calls to checkpath are needed. Note: there is nothing technically wrong with using a directory structure like `/var/run/foo/foo.pid`, so long as *root* owns the PID file and the directory containing it.

Ideally (see "Upstream your service scripts"), your service script will be integrated upstream and the build system will determine the appropriate directory for the pid file. For example,

```sh
pidfile="@piddir@/${RC_SVCNAME}.pid"
```

A decent example of this is the [Nagios core service script](https://github.com/NagiosEnterprises/nagioscore/blob/HEAD/openrc-init.in), where the full path to the PID file is specified at build-time.

## Don't let the user control the PID file location
It's usually a mistake to let the end user control the PID file
location through a conf.d variable, for a few reasons:
1. When the PID file path is controlled by the user, you need to ensure that its parent directory exists and is writable. This adds unnecessary code to the service script.
2. If the PID file path changes while the service is running, then you'll find yourself unable to stop the service.
3. The directory that should contain the PID file is best determined by the upstream build system (see "Upstream your service scripts"). On [Linux](Linux.md), the preferred location these days is `/run`. Other systems still use `/var/run`, though, and a `./configure` script is the best place to decide which one you want.
4. Nobody cares where the PID file is located, anyway.

Since [OpenRC](openrc.md) service names must be unique, a value of

```sh
pidfile="/var/run/${RC_SVCNAME}.pid"
```

guarantees that your PID file has a unique name.

## Upstream your service scripts (for packagers)
The ideal place for an OpenRC service script is **upstream**. Much like [systemd](Systemd.md) services, a well-crafted OpenRC service script should be distribution-agnostic, and the best place for it is upstream. Why? For two reasons. First, having it upstream means that there's a single authoritative source for improvements. Second, a few paths in every service script are dependent upon flags passed to the build system. For example,
```sh
command=/usr/bin/foo
```

in an autotools-based build system should really be
```sh
command=@bindir@/foo
```

so that the user's value of `--bindir` is respected. If you keep the service script in your own distribution's repository, then you have to keep the command path and package synchronized yourself, and that's no fun.

## Be wary of "need net" dependencies
There are two things you need to know about "need net" dependencies:
1. They are not satisfied by the loopback interface, so "need net" requires some *other* interface to be up.
2. Depending on the value of `rc_depend_strict` in `rc.conf`, the "need net" will be satisfied when either *any* non-loopback interface is up, or when *all* non-loopback interfaces are up.

The first item means that "need net" is wrong for daemons that are happy with `0.0.0.0`, and the second point means that "need net" is wrong for daemons that need a particular (for example, the WAN) interface. We'll consider the two most common users of "need net"; network clients who access some network resource, and network servers who provide them.

### Network clients
Network clients typically want the WAN interface to be up. That may tempt you to depend on the WAN interface; but first, you should ask yourself a question: does anything bad happen if the WAN interface is not available? In other words, if the administrator wants to disable the WAN, should the service be stopped? Usually the answer to that question is "no," and in that case, you should forego the "net" dependency entirely.

Suppose, for example, that your service retrieves virus signature updates from the internet. In order to do its job correctly, it needs a (working) internet connection. However, the service itself does not require the WAN interface to be up: if it is, great; otherwise, the worst that will happen is that a "server unavailable" warning will be logged. The signature update service will not crash, and—perhaps more importantly—you don't want it to terminate if the administrator turns off the WAN interface for a second.

### Network servers
Network servers are generally easier to handle than their client counterparts. Most server daemons listen on `0.0.0.0` (all addresses) by default, and are therefore satisfied to have the loopback interface present and operational. [OpenRC](openrc.md) ships with the loopback service in the *boot* runlevel, and therefore most server daemons require no further network dependencies.

The exceptions to this rule are those daemons who produce negative side-effects when the WAN is unavailable. For example, the Nagios server daemon will generate "the sky is falling" alerts for as long as your monitored hosts are unreachable. So in that case, you should require some other interface (often the WAN) to be up. A "need" dependency would be appropriate, because you want Nagios to be stopped before the network is taken down.

If your daemon can optionally be configured to listen on a particular interface, then please see the "Depending on a particular interface" section.

### Depending on a particular interface
If you need to depend on one particular interface, usually it's not easy to determine programmatically what that interface is. For example, if your *sshd* daemon listens on `192.168.1.100` (rather than `0.0.0.0`), then you have two problems:
1. Parsing `sshd_config` to figure that out; and
2. Determining which network service name corresponds to the interface for `192.168.1.100`.

It's generally a bad idea to parse config files in your service scripts, but the second problem is the harder one. Instead, the most robust (i.e. the laziest) approach is to make the user specify the dependency when he makes a change to sshd_config. Include something like the following in the service configuration file,
```sh
# Specify the network service that corresponds to the "bind" setting
# in your configuration file. For example, if you bind to 127.0.0.1,
# this should be set to "loopback" which provides the loopback interface.
rc_need="loopback"
```

This is a sensible default for daemons that are happy with `0.0.0.0`, but lets the user specify something else, like `rc_need="net.wan"` if he needs it. The burden is on the user to determine the appropriate service whenever he changes the daemon's configuration file.
