VirtualEnv Init.d Scripts the Easy Way

... at least, that’s the way I build them. Take RhodeCode as an example.

1. sudo adduser --no-create-home --disabled-login rhodecode - create underprivileged user (no home dir, no shell)

2. Create /srv/rhodecode/start.sh with the following contents:

   #!/bin/bash
   # run this as the rhodecode user!
   
   WDIR=/srv/rhodecode
   VIRTUALENV_DIR=/opt/rhodecode-venv
   
   source $VIRTUALENV_DIR/bin/activate
   
   cd $WDIR
   paster serve production.ini 1> debug.log 2> error.log

3. Create /etc/init.d/rhodecode containing:

   #!/bin/sh
   # Start/stop rhodecode
   
   PIDFILE=/var/run/rhodecode.pid
   
   . /lib/lsb/init-functions
   
   NAME=rhodecode
   RUN_AS=`id -u rhodecode`
   CMD=/srv/rhodecode/start.sh
   OPTS=
   
   do_start() {
       start-stop-daemon --start --background --user $RUN_AS --pidfile $PIDFILE --chuid $RUN_AS --startas $CMD -- $OPTS
   }
   
   do_stop() {
       start-stop-daemon --stop --user $RUN_AS
   }
   
   case "$1" in
   start)
       log_action_msg "Starting $NAME"
       do_start
           ;;
   stop)
       log_action_msg "Stopping $NAME"
       do_stop
       ;;
   restart)
       log_action_msg "Restarting $NAME"
       do_stop
       do_start
       ;;
   *)
       log_action_msg "Usage: /etc/init.d/rhodecode {start|stop|restart}"
       exit 2
       ;;
   esac
   exit 0

4. Run /etc/init.d/rhodecode.

Note

stop kills all processes for the associated user. Don’t try this at home if you don’t know what you are doing!