NAME
Daemon::Control - Create init scripts in Perl
DESCRIPTION
Daemon::Control provides a library for creating init scripts in perl. Your perl script just needs to set the accessors for what and how you want something to run and the library takes care of the rest.
You can launch programs through the shell (/usr/sbin/my_program) or launch Perl code itself into a daemon mode. Single and double fork methods are supported and in double-fork mode all the things you would expect like reopening STDOUT/STDERR, switching UID/GID are supported.
SYNOPSIS
Write a program that describes the daemon:
#!/usr/bin/perl
use warnings;
use strict;
use Daemon::Control;
Daemon::Control->new({
name => "My Daemon",
lsb_start => '$syslog $remote_fs',
lsb_stop => '$syslog',
lsb_sdesc => 'My Daemon Short',
lsb_desc => 'My Daemon controls the My Daemon daemon.',
path => '/home/symkat/etc/init.d/program',
program => '/home/symkat/bin/program',
program_args => [ '-a', 'orange', '--verbose' ],
pid_file => '/tmp/mydaemon.pid',
stderr_file => '/tmp/mydaemon.out',
stdout_file => '/tmp/mydaemon.out',
fork => 2,
})->run;
You can then call the program:
/home/symkat/etc/init.d/program start
You can also make an LSB compatable init script:
/home/symkat/etc/init.d/program get_init_file > /etc/init.d/program
CONSTRUCTOR
The constuctor takes the following arguments.
name
The name of the program the daemon is controlling. This will be used in status messages "name [Started]" and the name for the LSB init script that is generated.
program
This can be a coderef or the path to a shell program that is to be run.
$daemon->program( sub { ... } );
$daemon->program( "/usr/sbin/http" );
program_args
This is an array ref of the arguments for the program. In the context of a coderef being executed this will be given to the coderef as @_, the Daemon::Control instance that called the coderef will be passed as the first arguments. Your arguments start at $_[1].
In the context of a shell program, it will be given as arguments to be executed.
$daemon->program_args( [ 'foo', 'bar' ] );
$daemon->program_args( [ '--switch', 'argument' ] );
user
When set, the username supplied to this accessor will be used to set the UID attribute. When this is used, uid
will be changed from its inital settings if you set it (which you shouldn't, since you're using usernames instead of UIDs). See "uid" for setting numerical user ids.
$daemon->user('www-data');
group
When set, the groupname supplied to this accessor will be used to set the GID attribute. When this is used, gid
will be changed from its inital settings if you set it (which you shouldn't, since you're using groupnames instead of GIDs). See "gid" for setting numerical group ids.
$daemon->group('www-data');
uid
If provided, the UID that the program will drop to when forked. This is ONLY supported in double-fork mode and will only work if you are running as root. Accepts numeric UID. For usernames please see "user".
$daemon->uid( 1001 );
gid
If provided, the GID that the program will drop to when forked. This is ONLY supported in double-fork mode and will only work if you are running as root. Accepts numeric GID, for groupnames please see "group".
$daemon->gid( 1001 );
directory
If provided, chdir to this directory before execution.
path
The path of the script you are using Daemon::Control in. This will be used in the LSB file genration to point it to the location of the script. If this is not provided $0 will be used, which is likely to work only if you use the full path to execute it when asking for the init script.
init_config
The name of the init config file to load. When provided your init script will source this file to include the environment variables. This is useful for setting a PERL5LIB and such things.
$daemon->init_config( "/etc/default/my_program" );
redirect_before_fork
By default this is set true. STDOUT will be redirected to stdout_file, STDERR will be redirected to stderr_file. Setting this to 0 will disable redriecting before a double fork. This is useful when you are using a code ref and would like to leave the file handles alone until you're in control.
Call ->redirect_filehandles on the Daemon::Control instance your coderef is passed to redirect the filehandles.
stdout_file
If provided stdout will be redirected to the given file. This is only supported in double fork more.
$daemon->stdout_file( "/tmp/mydaemon.stdout" );
stderr_file
If provided stderr will be redirected to the given file. This is only supported in double fork more.
$daemon->stderr_file( "/tmp/mydaemon.stderr" );
pid_file
The location of the PID file to use. Warning: if using single-fork mode, it is recommended to set this to the file which the daemon launching in single-fork mode will put it's PID. Failure to follow this will most likely result in status, stop, and restart not working.
$daemon->pid_file( "/tmp/mydaemon.pid" );
fork
The mode to use for fork. By default a double-fork will be used.
In double-fork, uid, gid, std*_file, and a number of other things are supported. A traditional double-fork is used and setsid is called.
In single-fork none of the above are called, and it is the responsiblity of whatever you're forking to reopen files, associate with the init process and do all that fun stuff. This mode is recommended when the program you want to control has it's own daemonizing code. It is importand to note that the PID file should be set to whatever PID file is used by the daemon.
$daemon->fork( 1 );
$daemon->fork( 2 ); # Default
scan_name
This provides an extra check to see if the program is running. Normally we only check that the PID listed in the PID file is running. When given a regular expression, we will also match the name of the program as shown in ps.
$daemon->scan_name( qr|mydaemon| );
lsb_start
The value of this string is used for the 'Required-Start' value of the generated LSB init script. See http://wiki.debian.org/LSBInitScripts for more information.
$daemon->lsb_start( '$remote_fs $syslog' );
lsb_stop
The value of this string is used for the 'Required-Stop' value of the generated LSB init script. See http://wiki.debian.org/LSBInitScripts for more information.
$daemon->lsb_stop( '$remote_fs $syslog' );
lsb_sdesc
The value of this string is used for the 'Short-Description' value of the generated LSB init script. See http://wiki.debian.org/LSBInitScripts for more information.
$daemon->lsb_sdesc( 'Mah program...' );
lsb_desc
The value of this string is used for the 'Description' value of the generated LSB init script. See http://wiki.debian.org/LSBInitScripts for more information.
$daemon->lsb_desc( 'My program controls a thing that does a thing.' );
METHODS
run
This will make your program act as an init file, accepting input from the command line. Run will exit either 1 or 0, following LSB files on exiting. As such no code should be used after ->run is called. Any code in your file should be before this.
do_start
Is called when start is given as an argument. Starts the forking, and exits.
/usr/bin/my_program_launcher.pl start
do_stop
Is called when stop is given as an argument. Stops the running program if it can.
/usr/bin/my_program_launcher.pl stop
do_restart
Is called when restart is given as an argument. Calls do_stop and do_start.
/usr/bin/my_program_launcher.pl restart
do_status
Is called when status is given as an argument. Displays the status of the program, basic on the PID file.
/usr/bin/my_program_launcher.pl status
do_get_init_file
Is called when get_init_file is given as an argument. Dumps an LSB compatable init file, for use in /etc/init.d/
/usr/bin/my_program_launcher.pl get_init_file
pretty_print
This is used to display status to the user. It accepts a message, and a color. It will default to green text, if no color is explictly given. Only supports red and green.
$daemon->pretty_print( "My Status", "red" );
write_pid
This will write the PID to the file in pid_file.
read_pid
This will read the PID from the file in pid_file and set it in pid.
pid
An accessor for the PID. Set by read_pid, or when the program is started.
dump_init_script
A function to dump the LSB compatable init script. Used by do_get_init_file.
AUTHOR
SymKat <symkat@symkat.com> ( Blog: http://symkat.com/ )
CONTRIBUTORS
Matt S. Trout (mst) <mst@shadowcat.co.uk>
Mike Doherty (doherty) <doherty@cpan.org>
COPYRIGHT
Copyright (c) 2012 the Daemon::Control "AUTHOR" and "CONTRIBUTORS" as listed above.
LICENSE
This library is free software and may be distributed under the same terms as perl itself.
AVAILABILITY
The most current version of Daemon::Control can be found at https://github.com/symkat/Daemon-Control