I have a script that runs fine when I have typed its' name on the command line such as

/etc/rc.d/init.d/scriptname start

This starts it fine without problems. Doing tail /var/log/messages does not show any errors.
I have set it to start at boot up, but it dosnt run. I need to enter the script name manually before it runs.

If I do a chkconfig --list it shows it is registered in run levels 2345, which is where it should be. It is scheduled to start on system boot by doing

/usr/sbin/setup and going to system setup, and setting it there. I have also checked in the RH9 GUI version of the system startup util.

The full paths are in the file.

Anyone got any ideas?

Here is a copy

#!/bin/bash
#
# Script to run Fetchmail software at boot time.
#
# Last Updated: 31st August 2003
#
# This script is based upon the init scripts
# as used on Red Hat Linux.
#
# The script has been tested on RH 7.x, 8.0, and 9.0
#
# Author: Gary Myers AMBCS
# mailto: gary @ gaztronics.co.uk
#
# This script is realeased under the terms of the GPL.
# You can source a copy at:
#

#====================================================================
# Run level information
#
# chkconfig: 2345 99 90
# description: Fetchmail
#
# Run "/sbin/chkconfig --add seti" to add the Run levels;
# this *should* setup the symlinks!
#====================================================================

PATH=/sbin:/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/local/bin
#====================================================================
# Set the path to the executable.
#
FETCHMAIL=/usr/bin/fetchmail

# Set the path to the runtime control file.
#
FRC=/root/.fetchmailrc

# Path to the lock file.
#
LOCK_FILE=/var/lock/subsys/fetchmail

# Set this time for daemon operations.
# Default for this config is 1 hour.
#
TIME=200

#====================================================================

#====================================================================

# System checks:

# Source function library
. /etc/rc.d/init.d/functions

# Check that networking is up.
# No point in trying to send or recieve otherwise!!
[ ${NETWORKING} ="yes" ] || exit 0

# Check we have the fetchmail program installed.
if [ ! -x $FETCHMAIL ] ; then
echo "Cannot find Fetchmail executable!"
exit 0
fi

# Check the .fetchmailrc file exists - fetchmail doesn't run
# in daemon mode without it.

if [ ! -f $FRC ] ; then
echo "Cannot find the runtime control file!"
exit 0
fi

#====================================================================

prog=$"Fetchmail"

RETVAL=0

start() {
if [ -f $LOCK_FILE ]; then
echo "Fetchmail is already running!"
exit 0

else

echo -n $"Starting $prog: "
$FETCHMAIL --daemon $TIME >/dev/null 2>&1
fi

RETVAL=$?
[ $RETVAL -eq 0 ] && success
echo
[ $RETVAL -eq 0 ] && touch $LOCK_FILE
return $RETVAL
}

stop() {
echo -n $"Shutting down $prog: "
killproc fetchmail
RETVAL=$?
[ $RETVAL -eq 0 ]
rm -f $LOCK_FILE
echo
return $RETVAL
}

# See how we were called.
case "$1" in
start)
start
;;
stop)
stop
;;
restart)
stop
start
;;
condrestart)
if [ -f $LOCK_FILE ]; then
stop
start
RETVAL=$?
fi
;;
status)
status fetchmail
RETVAL=$?
;;
*)
echo $"Usage: $0 {start|stop|restart|condrestart|status}"
RETVAL=1
esac

exit $RETVAL

Two thoughts:

First thing I'd check is when in the boot process it's being run. That spot where it says
is the only spot I could see that might exit without doing anything, yet give no error.

The first thing I tend to think of with problems like this is environment, because the environment during startup is like that with rsh or cron -- it's noticeably different than what you have when you're logged in.

From your comment about the paths being in the file, I suspect you already thought of that. I can't find anything else that it looks like they might have forgotten.


Second idea: Change your header line to "#!/bin/bash -x", to see what the program is doing. (That may or may not work, because, depending where it is in the boot process, the messages may get routed to the console or they may go off into never-never land.

You might also take off the redirection on the program startup ("$FETCHMAIL --daemon $TIME >/dev/null 2>&1".

Hope this helps,

CHL

I thought of that too, but am unsure on how Linux boots up. I tried removing that line, but it still dos'nt run on boot.

I'll try your other suggestions and watch the boot process and see what comes up.

If it dos'nt work I'll try stuffing it into rc.local, that may work!

Thanks

Mike

I got it working by changing the line:

$FETCHMAIL --daemon $TIME >/dev/null 2>&1

to $FETCHMAIL -f $FRC--daemon $TIME

because it could'nt find the .fetchmailrc file during the boot.

Thanks for your help

I am getting used to Linux, once you get out of the Windows way of thinking it really makes sense!



Michael.