Section: File Formats (5)
Updated: April 2008
Sommaire  

events - format of event files used by the upstart init system  

upstart works on the basis of event files that describe jobs that should be managed. This includes the particulars about what binary or shell script code should executed while the job is running, and which events can cause the job to be started or stopped.

Event files are stored in the /etc/event.d directory.  

Event files can contain the following stanzaz.

exec <command> <arguments>

When the event is started by init, execute the following arguments.

Example: exec /bin/dbus-daemon --system

script ...

Like exec but instead of executing a single program, execute the following shell code. script sections are closed with a end script marker.

Example:

        script
                rm -f /var/run/sshd.pid
                sshd
        end script

Only one of  exec and script can be used at a time. If both
are bspecifed, exec takes priority.

 
pre-start

pre-start can be invoked as pre-start exec or pre-start script
in the same way that a start action can be handled by either
exec or script.

 
post-start

The format is similar to pre-start.

 
pre-stop

The format is similar to pre-start.

 
post-stop

The format is similar to pre-start.

 
start on <event>

section, the job can only be manually started with the
initctl(8) command.

Examples:
        start on startup
        This starts immediately after boot.

        start on stopped rc3
        This starts when the 'rc3' event has stopped.

Events are matched via globbing. So a stanza of the form
        start on runlevel [2345]
would match any of runlevels 2, 3, 4, or 5.

 
stop on <event>

section, the job can only be manually stopped with the
initctl command.

Examples:
        stop on runlevel 0
        This stops the job when runlevel 0 is entered.

        stop on stopping dbus ok
        This stops the job when the 'dbus' job is stopped.

Events are matched via globbing. So a stanza of the form
        stop on runlevel [!5]
would match any runlevel other than 5.

 
daemon

fork in the background and that its PID needs to be obtained.

 
respawn

The respawn flag means that the process will be restarted when
it ends.


 
respawn limit [count [timeout]]

if the respawn flag is set for the job; setting a limit
does not automatically set respawning capability. If the
process is respawned more than  count times within an
interval of timeout seconds, the job will be stopped
automatically, andn ot restarted. The limit defaults to 10
times within 5 seconds.


Example: respawn limit 10 120

This sets the limit for respawn to ten times within two
minutes, the historical behavior for System V init.

 
service

service is implied by the respawn flag.

 
instance

it is started, even if there is another instance running. It
is the converse of daemon.

 
kill timeout <time>

time seconds.


 
normal exit <status>

prevent a respawn of the process.


 
console {logged|output|owner|none}


logged
Redirect to logger. (the default setting)

output
Direct to the current stdout

owner
The process becomes the owner of the console, allowing it to
receive signals from the keyboard

none
Output is redirected to /dev/null

 
env <name>=<value>


Example: env LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/opt/app/lib

 
umask <umask>


Example: umask 0755

 
nice <value>


Example: nice 5

 
chroot <path>


Example: chroot /var/empty

 
chdir <path>


Example: chdir /var/tmp

 
limit {as|core|cpu|data|fsize|memlock|msgqueue|nice|nofile|nproc|rss|rtprio|sigpending|stack} {unlimited|<value>}


Examples:
        limit nproc 10
        limit core unlimited

 
description <text>


Example: descripton "This is a test job."

 
author <text>

Example: author "Obi-wan Kennedy <bidy@whitehouse.gov>"

 
version <version>

Example: version "0.0.0.0.1 test"

 
emits <signals>

any init(8) tools. For more information on signals, see the
initctl(8) man page and the emit option.

Example: emits spam egg ham

A wide array of events can be emitted by the system (see initctl(8)) but the following events are generated by upstart itself, or are usually seen on a typical install.

stalled

No jobs are running and no events are pending.

control-alt-delete

Control-Alt-Delete has been pressed.

kbdrequest

A kbdrequest event has occurred.

power-status-changed

Init received SIGPWR.

starting <job>

The given job is being started.

started <job>

The given job has successfully been started.

stopping <job>

The given job is being stopped.

stopped <job>

The given job has been stopped successfully.

startup

Emitted when the system boots.

runlevel <runlevel>

Init has been asked to move to the given runlevel.

/etc/event.d The directory where event files are stored.  

initctl(8) telinit(8) init(8) http://upstart.ubuntu.com/getting-started.html

NAME

DESCRIPTION

SYNTAX

EVENTS

FILES

SEE ALSO