doc: convert the documentation to the block format

The syntax overview no longer describes a line-based format, since that
is not what the rest of the documentation shows.  It now covers the
grammar, the two naming conventions, the nine aliases, and the leading
'-' on a path, and it says plainly that both formats are still read and
told apart per file by content.  Without that, a reader with an
existing configuration is left wondering what happened to it.

service-opts.md was a list of modifiers to place between a directive
and its command, so it needed rewriting rather than translating: there
are no positions left to describe.  It is now grouped by what the
settings do.

conditions.md needed correcting.  It presented '!' as a condition
prefix alongside '~'.  It is neither a condition nor a negation, it is
a flag on the block that means one thing on a service and another on a
run or task, so it is spelled reload-signal and required here, and the
page maps the old form to both.

Two things the pages claimed are not true.  The kill delay range is
1-300, not 1-60, and stop and reload scripts are no longer run without
a timeout.

ChangeLog.md keeps its line-based examples.  Those sit in historical
release entries, and rewriting them in a syntax that did not exist at
the time would misdate the format.

Signed-off-by: Joachim Wiberg <troglobit@gmail.com>
This commit is contained in:
Joachim Wiberg committed 2026-07-30 15:21:31 +02:00
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@@ -14,12 +14,21 @@ specified separated by comma. Multiple conditions are logically AND'ed
during evaluation, i.e. all conditions must be satisfied in order for a
service to run.
Two special prefixes can be used inside the angle brackets:
One prefix can be used on a condition:
- `!` -- service does not support `SIGHUP` (noreload), or run/task
should not block runlevel changes (i.e., bootstrap)
- `~` -- propagate reload from this dependency, see below
The line-based format also accepts a leading `!` on the list, which is
not a condition and not a negation. It is a flag on the block, and it
means two unrelated things depending on where it sits: a service does
not support `SIGHUP` (noreload), or a run/task should not block
runlevel changes, i.e. bootstrap. Each of those is its own key here:
| Line-based | Block format |
|---|---|
| `<!...>` on a service or sysv | `reload-signal = "none"` |
| `<!...>` on a run or task | `required = false` |
Finit guarantees by default that all run/tasks run (at least) once
per runlevel. For most tasks this is a good default, for example
checking SSH host keys or loading keymap. However, for conditions
@@ -27,7 +36,12 @@ that are unlikely to happen it is not. (See example below.)
### Example
service [2345] <pid/setupd,pid/zebra> /sbin/netd -- Network monitor
service netd {
description = "Network monitor"
runlevel = "2345"
conditions = { "pid/setupd", "pid/zebra" }
command = "/sbin/netd"
}
In this example the Network monitor daemon `netd` is not started until
both the `pid/setupd` *and* `pid/zebra` conditions are satisfied. A
@@ -42,15 +56,28 @@ being created, i.e., the service's default readiness notification.
Another example is `dropbear`, it does not support `SIGHUP`, but we can
also see optional sourcing of arguments from an environment file:
service [2345789] <!> env:-/etc/default/dropbear dropbear -F -R $DROPBEAR_ARGS -- Dropbear SSH daemon
service dropbear {
description = "Dropbear SSH daemon"
runlevel = "2345789"
reload-signal = "none"
envfile = "-/etc/default/dropbear"
command = "dropbear -F -R $DROPBEAR_ARGS"
}
Finally, the weird "block runlevel changes" example. Here we see what
happens when Finit receives `SIGPWR`, sent from a power daemon like
[powstatd(8)][]. A condition is asserted and a user can set up their
own task to act on it. We do not want this task to block Finit from
moving to the next runlevel after bootstrap, so we set `<!>`:
moving to the next runlevel after bootstrap, so we set
`required = false`:
task [S0123456789] <!sys/pwr/fail> name:pwrfail initctl poweroff -- Power failure, shutting down
task pwrfail {
description = "Power failure, shutting down"
runlevel = "S0123456789"
conditions = { "sys/pwr/fail" }
required = false
command = "initctl poweroff"
}
Propagating Reload in Dependencies
@@ -65,13 +92,23 @@ not care if it reloads its config.
For services that need to react when their upstream reloads, the `~`
prefix propagates the reload from the dependency:
service <pid/svc_a> name:svc_b /sbin/svc_b -- Needs A (barrier)
service <!~pid/svc_b> name:svc_c /sbin/svc_c -- Propagate reload from B
service svc_b {
description = "Needs A (barrier)"
conditions = { "pid/svc_a" }
command = "/sbin/svc_b"
}
service svc_c {
description = "Propagate reload from B"
conditions = { "~pid/svc_b" }
reload-signal = "none"
command = "/sbin/svc_c"
}
Here, `<~pid/svc_b>` means: propagate a reload of `svc_b` to `svc_c`.
When `svc_b` reloads, `svc_c` will be restarted (because of `!`,
noreload) instead of merely resumed. If `svc_c` supported `SIGHUP`
(no `!` prefix), it would be sent `SIGHUP` instead.
When `svc_b` reloads, `svc_c` will be restarted, because of
`reload-signal = "none"`, instead of merely resumed. If `svc_c`
supported `SIGHUP`, it would be sent `SIGHUP` instead.
This is similar to systemd's `PropagatesReloadTo=` directive, but
declared on the consumer side rather than the provider side.
@@ -103,7 +140,12 @@ services, or run/task jobs, on external site-dependent stimuli.
**Example:**
service [2345] <usr/foo> alarm --arg foo -- Foo alarm
service alarm {
description = "Foo alarm"
runlevel = "2345"
conditions = { "usr/foo" }
command = "alarm --arg foo"
}
For convenience, prefixing with `usr/` is allowed, but any other slashes
or period characters are disallowed. E.g., to trigger the `Foo alarm`,
@@ -126,8 +168,9 @@ Static (one-shot) conditions, like `usr/`, never enter the `flux` state.
> "touch" or recreate, their PID file on `SIGHUP`. This can be done by
> calling `utimensat()` on the PID file. Provided, of course, that the
> service supports reloading on `SIGHUP`, otherwise it will be restarted
> by Finit when they instead exit on the signal. For such services, use
> `<!>` to tell Finit the service does not support `SIGHUP`.
> by Finit when they instead exit on the signal. For such services,
> set `reload-signal = "none"` to tell Finit the service does not
> support `SIGHUP`.
Built-in Conditions
@@ -307,8 +350,8 @@ restarts that would otherwise occur because a depending service was sent
Services with the `~` prefix are an exception to this rule: when their
conditions return to `on` after being in `flux`, the reload is propagated
-- the service is reloaded (SIGHUP) or restarted (noreload `!`) instead
of simply being resumed.
-- the service is reloaded (SIGHUP), or restarted if it has
`reload-signal = "none"`, instead of simply being resumed.
Therefore, any plugin that supplies Finit with conditions must ensure
that their state is updated after each reconfiguration. This can be