Basic upstart script template

upstartTemplate.conf

#!upstart
# 
# Copy me to /etc/init/
# This installs a daemon as a system level call and ensures the process can be monitored and is consistently restarted on error.
# Manual start, stop, and restart respected.
#

description "DESCRIBE_ME"

# Let upstart attempt to restart the daemon on error, exit, or otherwise non-manual termination
respawn

pre-start script
    SOMETHING_TO_DO_PRE_START
end script

# Write an alive file for collectd to poll
post-start script
    touch PATH_TO_ALIVE_FILE
end script

# Main start instructions, send to log, route stderr to stdout
script
    PATH_TO_COMMAND >> PATH_TO_LOG 2>&1
end script

# Generally not a good idea to use this
pre-stop script
    SOMETHING_TO_DO_PRE_STOP
end script

# Remove alive file
post-stop script
    rm -f PATH_TO_ALIVE_FILE
end script