INVOKE-RC.D(8) Debian GNU/Linux INVOKE-RC.D(8)
NAME
invoke-rc.d - executes System-V style init script actions
SYNOPSIS
invoke-rc.d [--quiet] [--force] [--try-anyway] [--disclose-deny]
[--query] [--no-fallback] name action [init script parameters...]
invoke-rc.d [--help]
DESCRIPTION
invoke-rc.d is a generic interface to execute System V style init script
/etc/init.d/name actions, obeying runlevel constraints as well as any
local policies set by the system administrator.
All access to the init scripts by Debian packages' maintainer scripts
should be done through invoke-rc.d.
This manpage documents only the usage and behavior of invoke-rc.d. For
a discussion of the System V style init script arrangements please see
init(8). More information on invoke-rc.d can be found in the section on
runlevels and init.d scripts of the Debian Policy Manual.
INIT SCRIPT ACTIONS
The standard actions are: start, stop, force-stop, restart, try-restart,
reload, force-reload, and status. Other actions are accepted, but they
can cause problems to policy-rc.d (see the INIT SCRIPT POLICY section),
so warnings are generated if the policy layer is active.
Please note that not all init scripts will implement all the actions
listed above, and that the policy layer may override an action to an-
other action(s), or even deny it.
Any extra parameters will be passed to the init script(s) being exe-
cuted.
If an action must be carried out regardless of any local policies, use
the --force switch.
OPTIONS
--help Display usage help.
--quiet
Quiet mode, no error messages are generated.
--force
Tries to run the init script regardless of policy and init script
subsystem errors. Use of this option in Debian maintainer
scripts is severely discouraged.
--try-anyway
Tries to run the init script if a non-fatal error is detected.
--disclose-deny
Return status code 101 instead of status code 0 if the init
script action is denied by the policy layer.
--query
Returns one of the status codes 100-106. Does not run the init
script, and implies --disclose-deny and --no-fallback.
--no-fallback
Ignores any fallback action requests by the policy layer. Warn-
ing: this is usually a very bad idea for any actions other than
start.
--skip-systemd-native
Exits before doing anything if a systemd environment is detected
and the requested service is a native systemd unit. This is use-
ful for maintainer scripts that want to defer systemd actions to
deb-systemd-invoke(1p)
STATUS CODES
Should an init script be executed, invoke-rc.d always returns the status
code returned by the init script. Init scripts should not return status
codes in the 100+ range (which is reserved in Debian and by the LSB).
The status codes returned by invoke-rc.d proper are:
0 Success. Either the init script was run and returned exit status
0 (note that a fallback action may have been run instead of the
one given in the command line), or it was not run because of run-
level/local policy constrains and --disclose-deny is not in ef-
fect.
1 - 99 Reserved for init.d script, usually indicates a failure.
100 Init script ID (name) unknown. This means the init script was
not registered successfully through update-rc.d or that the init
script does not exist.
101 Action not allowed. The requested action will not be performed
because of runlevel or local policy constraints.
102 Subsystem error. Init script (or policy layer) subsystem mal-
function. Also, forced init script execution due to --try-anyway
or --force failed.
103 Syntax error.
104 Action allowed. Init script would be run, but --query is in ef-
fect.
105 Behavior uncertain. It cannot be determined if action should be
carried out or not, and --query is in effect.
106 Fallback action requested. The policy layer denied the requested
action, and supplied an allowed fallback action to be used in-
stead.
INIT SCRIPT POLICY
invoke-rc.d introduces the concept of a policy layer which is used to
verify if an init script should be run or not, or if something else
should be done instead. This layer has various uses, the most immediate
ones being avoiding that package upgrades start daemons out-of-runlevel,
and that a package starts or stops daemons while inside a chroot jail.
The policy layer has the following abilities: deny or approve the execu-
tion of an action; request that another action (called a fallback) is to
be taken, instead of the action requested in invoke-rc.d's command line;
or request multiple actions to be tried in order, until one of them suc-
ceeds (a multiple fallback).
invoke-rc.d itself only pays attention to the current runlevel; it will
block any attempts to start a service in a runlevel in which the service
is disabled. Other policies are implemented with the use of the pol-
icy-rc.d helper, and are only available if /usr/sbin/policy-rc.d is in-
stalled in the system.
FILES
/etc/init.d/*
System V init scripts.
/usr/sbin/policy-rc.d
Init script policy layer helper (not required).
/etc/rc?.d/*
System V runlevel configuration.
NOTES
invoke-rc.d special cases the status action, and returns exit status 4
instead of exit status 0 when it is denied.
BUGS
See <http://bugs.debian.org/sysv-rc> and
<http://bugs.debian.org/init-system-helpers> .
SEE ALSO
Debian Policy manual,
/etc/init.d/skeleton,
update-rc.d(8),
init(8),
/usr/share/doc/init-system-helpers/README.policy-rc.d.gz
AUTHOR
Henrique de Moraes Holschuh
License: GNU General Public License v2 or Later (GPLv2+)
COPYRIGHT
2001 Henrique de Moraes Holschuh
1 March 2001 INVOKE-RC.D(8)
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