Run Python script at startup using upstart

Question

I'm trying to create an upstart script to run a python script on startup. In theory it looks simple enough but I just can't seem to get it to work. I'm using a skeleton script I found here and altered.

description "Used to start python script as a service"
author "Me <me@I.com.au>"

# Stanzas
#
# Stanzas control when and how a process is started and stopped
# See a list of stanzas here: http://upstart.ubuntu.com/wiki/Stanzas#respawn

# When to start the service
start on runlevel [2345]

# When to stop the service
stop on runlevel [016]

# Automatically restart process if crashed
respawn

# Essentially lets upstart know the process will detach itself to the background
expect fork

# Start the process
script
  exec python /usr/local/scripts/script.py
end script

The test script I want it to run is currently a simple python script that runs without any issue when run from a terminal.

#!/usr/bin/python2

import os, sys, time 
if __name__ == "__main__":  
    for i in range (10000):
        message = "UpstartTest " , i , time.asctime() , " - Username: " , os.getenv("USERNAME")
        #print message
    time.sleep(60)
        out = open("/var/log/scripts/scriptlogfile", "a")
        print >> out, message
        out.close()

The location/var/log/scripts has permissions 777
The file /usr/local/scripts/script.py has permissions 775
The upstart script /etc/init.d/pythonupstart.conf has permissions 755

Your test script is not fork()ing so your [expect](http://upstart.ubuntu.com/cookbook/#expect) line is probably wrong. Are you really sure you want to respawn? — Zoredache, Nov 22 '12 at 00:46
This is just a test script I will want the script I plan to run in production to respawn. I'll take out the fork() and see how I go. — never_odd_or_even, Nov 22 '12 at 03:35

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Nov 26 '12 at 17:22

1

Do not use respawn initially. See:
- http://upstart.ubuntu.com/cookbook/#respawn
- http://upstart.ubuntu.com/cookbook/#precepts-for-creating-a-job-configuration-file
Does python really fork? If not, remove fork.
You can simplify the stanza to start your job to simply:

exec python /usr/local/scripts/script.py
What does /var/log/upstart/yourjob.log show?

answered Nov 26 '12 at 17:22

jamesodhunt

849
5
4

/var/log/upstart isn't there but upstart is installed. /sbin/initctl --version returns "initctl (upstart 0.6.5) Copyright (C) 2010 Canonical Ltd." Does Upstart need to be configured to start at startup or is it automatic, I didn't install it. It was there when I installed the OS. – never_odd_or_even Nov 27 '12 at 03:21
sudo /etc/init.d/script.conf gives the following output `line 3: description: command not found line 4: author: command not found start: Unknown job: on stop: Unknown job: on line 18: respawn: command not found Script started, file is typescript` – never_odd_or_even Nov 27 '12 at 06:51
Upstart scripts go in /etc/init not /etc/init.d :( – never_odd_or_even Dec 11 '12 at 03:29

score 0 · Accepted Answer · answered Jul 19 '14 at 14:35

0

Upstart scripts go in /etc/init not /etc/init.d, It was a long week that week. :(

answered Jul 19 '14 at 14:35

never_odd_or_even

325
1
4
12

Run Python script at startup using upstart

2 Answers2