coming from [[bugs/weird_entry_in_process_list]] - are there plans to make an init.d / systemd .service file for git-annex?

my use case is that i have dedicated machines that will sync a common directory. they will run only one assistant - would patches to make a `git-annex` user, and the associated startup scripts, in the debian package be welcome? --[[anarcat]]

Here's a sample startup script:

<pre>
#!/bin/sh
### BEGIN INIT INFO
# Provides:          gitannex
# Required-Start:    $local_fs $network $remote_fs $syslog
# Required-Stop:     $local_fs $network $remote_fs $syslog
# Default-Start:     2 3 4 5
# Default-Stop:      0 1 6
# Short-Description: start the git-annex assistant
# Description:       start the git-annex assistant in the given directory
### END INIT INFO

# Author: Antoine Beaupré <anarcat@koumbit.org>

# Do NOT "set -e"

# PATH should only include /usr/* if it runs after the mountnfs.sh script
PATH=/sbin:/usr/sbin:/bin:/usr/bin
DESC="gitannex"
NAME=gitannex
USER=$NAME
DAEMON=git-annex
DAEMON_ARGS="assistant"
PIDFILE=/var/run/$NAME.pid
SCRIPTNAME=/etc/init.d/$NAME
ANNEX=auto

# Read configuration variable file if it is present
[ -r /etc/default/$NAME ] && . /etc/default/$NAME

# Exit if the package is not installed
[ -x "$DAEMON" ] || exit 0

# Load the VERBOSE setting and other rcS variables
. /lib/init/vars.sh

# Define LSB log_* functions.
# Depend on lsb-base (>= 3.2-14) to ensure that this file is present
# and status_of_proc is working.
. /lib/lsb/init-functions

if [ "$ANNEX" = "auto" ]; then
    DAEMON_ARGS="$DAEMON_ARGS --autostart"
else
    cd $ANNEX
    PIDFILE="$ANNEX/.git/annex/daemon.pid"
    EXTRA_OPTS="--chdir $ANNEX"
fi

#
# Function that starts the daemon/service
#
do_start()
{
	# Return
	#   0 if daemon has been started
	#   1 if daemon was already running
	#   2 if daemon could not be started
        start-stop-daemon --start --quiet --user $USER --pidfile $PIDFILE --exec $DAEMON --test > /dev/null \
		|| return 1
	start-stop-daemon --start --quiet --user $USER --chuid $USER $EXTRA_OPTS --pidfile $PIDFILE --exec $DAEMON -- \
		$DAEMON_ARGS \
		|| return 2
	# The above code will not work for interpreted scripts, use the next
	# six lines below instead (Ref: #643337, start-stop-daemon(8) )
	#start-stop-daemon --start --quiet --pidfile $PIDFILE --startas $DAEMON \
	#	--name $NAME --test > /dev/null \
	#	|| return 1
	#start-stop-daemon --start --quiet --pidfile $PIDFILE --startas $DAEMON \
	#	--name $NAME -- $DAEMON_ARGS \
	#	|| return 2

	# Add code here, if necessary, that waits for the process to be ready
	# to handle requests from services started subsequently which depend
	# on this one.  As a last resort, sleep for some time.
}

#
# Function that stops the daemon/service
#
do_stop()
{
	# Return
	#   0 if daemon has been stopped
	#   1 if daemon was already stopped
	#   2 if daemon could not be stopped
	#   other if a failure occurred
        su $USER -c "$DAEMON $DAEMON_ARGS --stop" && return 0 
	# Wait for children to finish too if this is a daemon that forks
	# and if the daemon is only ever run from this initscript.
	# If the above conditions are not satisfied then add some other code
	# that waits for the process to drop all resources that could be
	# needed by services started subsequently.  A last resort is to
	# sleep for some time.
	start-stop-daemon --stop --quiet --oknodo --retry=0/30/KILL/5 --user $USER --exec $DAEMON
	[ "$?" = 2 ] && return 2
	# Many daemons don't delete their pidfiles when they exit.
	rm -f $PIDFILE
	return "$RETVAL"
}

#
# Function that sends a SIGHUP to the daemon/service
#
do_reload() {
	#
	# If the daemon can reload its configuration without
	# restarting (for example, when it is sent a SIGHUP),
	# then implement that here.
	#
	start-stop-daemon --stop --signal 1 --quiet --pidfile $PIDFILE --name $NAME
	return 0
}

case "$1" in
  start)
	[ "$VERBOSE" != no ] && log_daemon_msg "Starting $DESC" "$NAME"
	do_start
	case "$?" in
		0|1) [ "$VERBOSE" != no ] && log_end_msg 0 ;;
		2) [ "$VERBOSE" != no ] && log_end_msg 1 ;;
	esac
	;;
  stop)
	[ "$VERBOSE" != no ] && log_daemon_msg "Stopping $DESC" "$NAME"
	do_stop
	case "$?" in
		0|1) [ "$VERBOSE" != no ] && log_end_msg 0 ;;
		2) [ "$VERBOSE" != no ] && log_end_msg 1 ;;
	esac
	;;
  status)
	status_of_proc -p "$PIDFILE" "$DAEMON" "$NAME" && exit 0 || exit $?
	;;
  #reload|force-reload)
	#
	# If do_reload() is not implemented then leave this commented out
	# and leave 'force-reload' as an alias for 'restart'.
	#
	#log_daemon_msg "Reloading $DESC" "$NAME"
	#do_reload
	#log_end_msg $?
	#;;
  restart|force-reload)
	#
	# If the "reload" option is implemented then remove the
	# 'force-reload' alias
	#
	log_daemon_msg "Restarting $DESC" "$NAME"
	do_stop
	case "$?" in
	  0|1)
		do_start
		case "$?" in
			0) log_end_msg 0 ;;
			1) log_end_msg 1 ;; # Old process is still running
			*) log_end_msg 1 ;; # Failed to start
		esac
		;;
	  *)
		# Failed to stop
		log_end_msg 1
		;;
	esac
	;;
  *)
	#echo "Usage: $SCRIPTNAME {start|stop|restart|reload|force-reload}" >&2
	echo "Usage: $SCRIPTNAME {start|stop|status|restart|force-reload}" >&2
	exit 3
	;;
esac

:
</pre>

Now this is not without problems:

 1. it assumes a gitannex user is created outside of the script
 2. it assumes a gitannex repository is created outside of the script and specified in the `/etc/default/gitannex` file (or added to the autostart file)
 3. it is Debian-specific (a proper init script would be POSIX only and/or a `.service` file)

Maybe using [metainit](https://wiki.debian.org/MetaInit) would be a good idea here? --[[anarcat]]

> This strikes me as a bad idea if the system has regular desktop etc
> users; the assistant can already start itself when they login and 
> a separate user has the same problems the separate mpd user seems to;
> of separating the user from the files that effcetively belong to them.
> 
> It's fine if you're doing something more specialized, but that seems
> like an unusual case and not one that git-annex should cater to.
> 
> Anyway, it's about 5 lines to write a systemd service file. I've added
> `git annex assistant --autostop` that such a service can use if desired.
> 
> Since I don't want to include that in git-annex and be stuck supporting
> it, and it should be easy for users to add if they need it, I think I'm
> going to call this [[done]]. --[[Joey]]