finit/doc/config.md

Configuration
=============

* [Introduction](#introduction)
* [Service Wrapper Scripts](#service-wrapper-scripts)
* [Configuration File Syntax](#configuration-file-syntax)
  * [Hostname](#hostname)
  * [Kernel Modules](#kernel-modules)
  * [Networking](#networking)
  * [Resource Limits](#resource-limits)
  * [Runlevels](#runlevels)
  * [One-shot Commands (sequence)](#one-shot-commands--sequence-)
  * [One-shot Commands (parallel)](#one-shot-commands--parallel-)
  * [SysV Init Scripts](#sysv-init-scripts)
  * [Services](#services)
  * [Run-parts Scripts](#run-parts-scripts)
  * [Including Finit Configs](#including-finit-configs)
  * [General Logging](#general-logging)
  * [TTYs and Consoles](#ttys-and-consoles)
  * [Non-privileged Services](#non-privileged-services)
  * [Redirecting Output](#redirecting-output)
* [Limitations](#limitations)
  * [/etc/finit.conf](#etcfinitconf)
  * [/etc/finit.d](#etcfinitd)


Introduction
------------

Finit can be configured using only the original `/etc/finit.conf` file
or in combination with `/etc/finit.d/*.conf`.  Useful for package-based
Linux distributions -- each package can provide its own "script" file.

- `/etc/finit.conf`: main configuration file
- `/etc/finit.d/*.conf`: snippets, usually one service per file

Not all configuration directives are available in `/etc/finit.d/*.conf`
and some directives are only available at bootstrap, runlevel `S`, see
the section [Limitations](#limitations) below for details.

To add a new service, simply drop a `.conf` file in `/etc/finit.d` and
run `initctl reload`.  (It is also possible to `SIGHUP` to PID 1, or
call `finit q`, but that has been deprecated with the `initctl` tool).
Finit monitors all known active `.conf` files, so if you want to force
a restart of any service you can simply touch its corresponding `.conf`
file in `/etc/finit.d` and call `initctl reload`.  Finit handle any
and all conditions and dependencies between services automatically.

It is also possible to drop `.conf` files in `/etc/finit.d/available/`
and use `initctl enable` to enable a service `.conf` file.  This may be
useful in particular to Linux distributions that may want to install all
files for a package and let the user decide when to enable a service.

On `initctl reload` the following is checked for all services:

- If a service's `.conf` file has been removed, or its conditions are no
  longer satisifed, the service is stopped.
- If the file is modified, or a service it depends on has been reloaded,
  the service is reloaded (stopped and started).
- If a new service is added it is automatically started — respecting
  runlevels and return values from any callbacks.

For more info on the different states of a service, see the separate
document [Finit Services](service.md).

> When running <kbd>make install</kbd> no default `/etc/finit.conf` is
> installed since system requirements differ too much.  There are some
> examples in the `contrib/` directory, which can be used as a base.


Service Environment
-------------------

Finit supports sourcing environment variables from `/etc/default/*`, or
similar `--with-sysconfig=DIR`.  This is a common pattern from SysV init
scripts, where the start-stop script is a generic script for the given
service, `foo`, and the options for the service are sourced from the
file `/etc/default/foo`.  Like this:

* `/etc/default/foo`:

        FOO_OPTIONS=--extra-arg="bar" -s -x

* `/etc/finit.conf`:

        service [2345] env:-/etc/default/foo foo -n $FOO_OPTIONS -- Example foo daemon

Here the service `foo` is started with `-n`, to make sure it runs in the
foreground, and the with the options found in the environment file.  With
the `ps` command we can see that the process is started with:

    foo -n --extra-arg=bar -s -x

> **Note:** the leading `-` determines if Finit should treat a missing
> environment file as blocking the start of the service or not.  When
> `-` is used, a missing environment file does *not* block the start.


Service Wrapper Scripts
-----------------------

If your service requires to run additional commands, executed before the
service is actually started, like the systemd `ExecStartPre`, you can
use a wrapper shell script to start your service.

The Finit service `.conf` file can be put into `/etc/finit.d/available`,
so you can control the service using `initctl`.  Then use the path to
the wrapper script in the Finit `.conf` service stanza.  The following
example employs a wrapper script in `/etc/start.d`.

**Example:**

* `/etc/finit.d/available/program.conf`:

        service [235] <!> /etc/start.d/program -- Example Program

* `/etc/start.d/program:`

        #!/bin/sh
        # Prepare the command line options
        OPTIONS="-u $(cat /etc/username)"

        # Execute the program
        exec /usr/bin/program $OPTIONS

> **Note:** the example sets `<!>` to denote that it doesn't support
>           `SIGHUP`.  That way Finit will stop/start the service
>           instead of sending SIGHUP at restart/reload events.


Configuration File Syntax
-------------------------

### Hostname

**Syntax:** `host <NAME>`, or `hostname <NAME>`

Set system hostname to NAME, unless `/etc/hostname` exists in which case
the contents of that file is used.

Deprecated.  We recommend using `/etc/hostname` instead.

> **Note:** only read and executed in runlevel S (bootstrap).


### Kernel Modules

**Syntax:** `module <MODULE> [ARGS]`

Load a kernel module, with optional arguments.  Similar to `insmod`
command line tool.

Deprecated, there is both a `modules-load.so` and a `modprobe.so` plugin
that can handle module loading better.  The former supports loading from
`/etc/modules-load.d/`, the latter uses kernel modinfo to automatically
load (or coldplug) every required module.  For hotplug we recommend the
BusyBox mdev tool, add to `/etc/mdev.conf`:

    $MODALIAS=.*  root:root       0660    @modprobe -b "$MODALIAS"

> **Note:** only read and executed in runlevel S (bootstrap).


### Networking

**Syntax:** `network <PATH>`

Script or program to bring up networking, with optional arguments.

Deprecated.  We recommend using dedicated task/run stanzas per runlevel,
or `/etc/network/interfaces` if you have a system with `ifupdown`, like
Debian, Ubuntu, Linux Mint, or an embedded BusyBox system.

> **Note:** only read and executed in runlevel S (bootstrap).


### Resource Limits

**Syntax:** `rlimit [hard|soft] RESOURCE <LIMIT|unlimited>`

Set the hard or soft limit for a resource, or both if that argument is
omitted.  `RESOURCE` is the lower-case `RLIMIT_` string constants from
`setrlimit(2)`, without prefix.  E.g. to set `RLIMIT_CPU`, use `cpu`.
  
LIMIT is an integer that depends on the resource being modified, see
the man page, or the kernel `/proc/PID/limits` file, for details.
Finit versions before v3.1 used `infinity` for `unlimited`, which is
still supported, albeit deprecated.

    # No process is allowed more than 8MB of address space
    rlimit hard as 8388608

    # Core dumps may be arbitrarily large
    rlimit soft core infinity

    # CPU limit for all services, soft & hard = 10 sec
    rlimit cpu 10

`rlimit` can be set globally, in `/etc/finit.conf`, or locally per
each `/etc/finit.d/*.conf` read.  I.e., a set of task/run/service
stanzas can share the same rlimits if they are in the same .conf.


### Runlevels

**Syntax:** `runlevel <N>`

Defines the system runlevel to go to after bootstrap (S) has completed.
N is the runlevel number 0-9, where 6 is reserved for reboot and 0 for
halt.

Default: 2

> **Note:** only read and executed in runlevel S (bootstrap).


### One-shot Commands (sequence)

**Syntax:** `run [LVLS] <COND> /path/to/cmd ARGS -- Optional description`

One-shot command to run in sequence when entering a runlevel, with
optional arguments and description.
  
`run` commands are guaranteed to be completed before running the next
command.  Highly useful if true serialization is needed.

> `<COND>` is described in the [Services](#services) section.


### One-shot Commands (parallel)

**Syntax:** `task [LVLS] <COND> /path/to/cmd ARGS -- Optional description`

One-shot like 'run', but starts in parallel with the next command.
  
Both `run` and `task` commands are run in a shell, so pipes and
redirects can be freely used:

    task [s] echo "foo" | cat >/tmp/bar

> `<COND>` is described in the [Services](#services) section.


### SysV Init Scripts

**Syntax:** `sysv [LVLS] <COND> /path/to/init-script -- Optional description`

Similar to `task` is the `sysv` stanza, which can be used to call SysV
style scripts.  The primary intention for this command is to be able to
re-use much of existing setup and init scripts in Linux distributions.
  
When entering an allowed runlevel, Finit calls `init-script start`, when
entering a disallowed runlevel, Finit calls `init-script stop`, and if
the Finit .conf, where `sysv` stanza is declared, is modified, Finit
calls `init-script restart` on `initctl reload`.  Similar to how
`service` stanzas work.

Forking services started with `sysv` scripts can be monitored by Finit
by declaring the PID file to look for: `pid:!/path/to/pidfile.pid`.

> `<COND>` is described in the [Services](#services) section.


### Services

**Syntax:** `service [LVLS] <COND> /path/to/daemon ARGS -- Optional description`

Service, or daemon, to be monitored and automatically restarted if it
exits prematurely.  Finit tries to restart services that die 10 times
before giving up, then you have to `initctl restart NAME` it manually.
  
For daemons that support it, we recommend appending `--foreground`,
`--no-background`, `-n`, `-F`, or similar command line argument to
prevent them from forking off a sub-process in the background.  This is
the most reliable way to monitor a service.

However, not all daemons support running in the foreground, or they may
start logging to the foreground as well, these are called forking
services and are supported using the same syntax as forking `sysv`
services, using the `pid:!/path/to/pidfile.pid` syntax.
  
**Example:**

In the case of `ospfd` (below), we omit the `-d` flag (daemonize) to
prevent it from forking to the background:

    service [2345] <pid/zebra> /sbin/ospfd -- OSPF daemon

`[2345]` denote the runlevels `ospfd` is allowed to run in, they are
optional and default to level 2-5 if omitted.
  
`<...>` is the condition for starting `ospfd`.  In this example Finit
waits for another service, `zebra`, to have created its PID file in
`/var/run/quagga/zebra.pid` before starting `ospfd`.  Finit watches
*all* files in `/var/run`, for each file named `*.pid`, or `*/pid`,
Finit opens it and find the matching `NAME:ID` using the PID.

Some services do not maintain a PID file and rather than patching each
application Finit provides a workaround.  A `pid` keyword can be set
to have Finit automatically create (when starting) and later remove
(when stopping) the PID file.  The file is created in the `/var/run`
directory using the `basename(1)` of the service.  The default can be
modified with an optional `pid:`-argument:

    pid[:[/path/to/]filename[.pid]]

For example, by adding `pid:/run/foo.pid` to the service `/sbin/bar`,
that PID file will, not only be created and removed automatically, but
also be used by the Finit condition subsystem.  So a service/run/task
can depend on `<pid/bar>`.

>  For a detailed description of conditions, and how to debug them,
>  see the [Finit Conditions](conditions.md) document.

If a service should not be automatically started, it can be configured
as manual with the optional `manual` argument. The service can then be
started at any time by running `initctl start <service>`.

    manual:yes

The name of a service, shown by the `initctl` tool, defaults to the
basename of the service executable. It can be changed with the
optional `name` argument:

    name:<service-name>

When stopping a service (run/task/sysv/service), either manually or
when moving to another runlevel, Finit starts by sending `SIGTERM`, to
allow the process to shut down gracefully.  If the process has not
been collected within 3 seconds, Finit sends `SIGKILL`.  To halt the
process using a different signal, use the option `halt:SIGNAL`, e.g.,
`halt:SIGPWR`.  To change the delay between your halt signal and KILL,
use the option `kill:SEC`, e.g., `kill:10` to wait 10 seconds before
sending `SIGKILL`.


### Run-parts Scripts

**Syntax:** `runparts <DIR>`

Call [run-parts(8)][] on `DIR` to run start scripts.  All executable
files, or scripts, in the directory are called, in alphabetic order.
The scripts in this directory are executed at the very end of runlevel
`S`, bootstrap.

It can be beneficial to use `S01name`, `S02othername`, etc. if there
is a dependency order between the scripts.  Symlinks to existing
daemons can talso be used, but make sure they daemonize by default.

Similar to the `/etc/rc.local` shell script, make sure that all your
services and programs either terminate or start in the background or
you will block Finit.

> **Note:** only read and executed in runlevel S (bootstrap).

### Including Finit Configs

**Syntax:** `include <CONF>`

Include another configuration file.  Absolute path required.


### General Logging

**Syntax:** `log size:200k count:5`

Log rotation for run/task/services using the `log` sub-option with
redirection to a log file.  Global setting, applies to all services.

The size can be given as bytes, without a specifier, or in `k`, `M`,
or `G`, e.g. `size:10M`, or `size:3G`.  A value of `size:0` disables
log rotation.  The default is `200k`.

The count value is recommended to be between 1-5, with a default 5.
Setting count to 0 means the logfile will be truncated when the MAX
size limit is reached.

### TTYs and Consoles

**Syntax:** `tty [LVLS] <DEV> [BAUD] [noclear] [nowait] [nologin] [TERM]`  
  `tty [LVLS] <CMD> <ARGS> [noclear] [nowait]`

The first variant of this option uses the built-in getty on the given
TTY device DEV, in the given runlevels.  The DEV may be the special
keyword `@console`, or `console`, useful on embedded systems.

The default baud rate is 0, i.e., keep kernel default.

**Example:**

    tty [12345] /dev/ttyAMA0 115200 noclear vt220

The second `tty` syntax variant is for using an external getty, like
agetty or the BusyBox getty.
    
By default both variants *clear* the TTY and *wait* for the user to
press enter before starting getty.

**Example:**

    tty [12345] /sbin/getty  -L 115200 /dev/ttyAMA0 vt100
    tty [12345] /sbin/agetty -L ttyAMA0 115200 vt100 nowait

The `noclear` option disables clearing the TTY after each session.
Clearing the TTY when a user logs out is usually preferable.
  
The `nowait` option disables the `press Enter to activate console`
message before actually starting the getty program.  On small and
embedded systems running multiple unused getty wastes both memory
and CPU cycles, so `wait` is the preferred default.

The `nologin` option disables getty and `/bin/login`, and gives the
user a root (login) shell on the given TTY `<DEV>` immediately.
Needless to say, this is a rather insecure option, but can be very
useful for developer builds, during board bringup, or similar.

Notice the ordering, the `TERM` option to the built-in getty must be
the last argument.

Embedded systems may want to enable automatic `DEV` by supplying the
special `@console` device.  This works regardless weather the system
uses `ttyS0`, `ttyAMA0`, `ttyMXC0`, or anything else.  Finit figures
it out by querying sysfs: `/sys/class/tty/console/active`.  The speed
can be omitted to keep the kernel default.

**Example:**

    tty [12345] @console noclear vt220

On really bare bones systems Finit offers a fallback shell, which
should not be enabled on production systems since.  This because it
may give a user root access without having to log in.  However, for
bringup and system debugging it can come in handy:

    configure --enable-fallback-shell

One can also use the `service` stanza to start a stand-alone shell:

    service [12345] /bin/sh -l


### Non-privileged Services

Every `run`, `task`, or `service` can also list the privileges the
`/path/to/cmd` should be executed with.  Simply prefix the path with
`[@USR[:GRP]]` like this:

    run [2345] @joe:users logger "Hello world"

For multiple instances of the same command, e.g. a DHCP client or
multiple web servers, add `:ID` somewhere between the `run`, `task`,
`service` keyword and the command, like this:

    service :80  [2345] httpd -f -h /http -p 80   -- Web server
    service :8080[2345] httpd -f -h /http -p 8080 -- Old web server

Without the `:ID` to the service the latter will overwrite the former
and only the old web server would be started and supervised.


### Redirecting Output

The `run`, `task`, and `service` stanzas also allow the keyword `log` to
redirect `stderr` and `stdout` of the application to a file or syslog
using the native `logit` tool.  This is useful for programs that do not
support syslog on their own, which is sometimes the case when running
in the foreground.

The full syntax is:

    log:/path/to/file
    log:prio:facility.level,tag:ident
    log:console
    log:null
    log

Default `prio` is `daemon.info` and default `tag` is the basename of the
service or run/task command.

Log rotation is controlled using the global `log` setting.

**Example:**

    service log:prio:user.warn,tag:ntpd /sbin/ntpd pool.ntp.org -- NTP daemon

Worth noting is that conditions is allowed for all these stanzas.  For a
detailed description, see the [Conditions](conditions.md) document.


Limitations
-----------

As of Finit v4 there are no limitations to where `.conf` settings can be
placed.  Except for the system/global `rlimit`, which can only be set
from `/etc/finit.conf`, since it is the first `.conf` file Finit reads.

Originally, `/etc/finit.conf` was the only way to set up a Finit system.
Today it is mainly used for bootstrap settings like system hostname,
network bringup and system shutdown.  These can now also be set in any
`.conf` file in `/etc/finit.d`.

There is, however, nothing preventing you from having all configuration
settings in `/etc/finit.conf`.

> **Note:** The `/etc/finit.d` directory was previously the default
>          Finit `runparts` directory.  Finit no longer has a default
>          `runparts`, make sure to update your setup, or the finit
>          configuration, accordingly.

[run-parts(8)]: http://manpages.debian.org/cgi-bin/man.cgi?query=run-parts