A basic init script (start/status/stop/restart) for a play 2.3.x applications running on a CentOS machine.

play-centos-init-script.sh

#!/bin/bash
# chkconfig: 2345 85 15
# description: starts your play application as a service

############################################################################################
# CentOs init.d start/stop script for your play application packaged with the dist command #
# Tested on CentOS 6.5                                                                     #
# You should:                                                                              #
# 1. Update your project's parameters                                                      #
# 2. Copy this file to /etc/init.d/                                                        #
# 3. Make it executable                                                                    #
# 4. Run chkconfig                                                                         #
############################################################################################

## Custom project parameters, update them with yours
PLAY_PROJECT_NAME="my-app" # use to get play's start script name
PLAY_ROOT_DIR=/home/boris/my-app # the folder of your play dist files
DAEMON_OPTS="" # options you want to pass to your play command
# starts the daemon as:
USER=boris

## derived parameters
# by default, we will use the project name for the script name (that was play's dist command does)
START_SCRIPT_NAME=$PLAY_PROJECT_NAME
PIDFILE=$PLAY_ROOT_DIR/RUNNING_PID
# this is the command to be run, give the full pathname
DAEMON=$PLAY_ROOT_DIR/bin/$START_SCRIPT_NAME

# contains the runuser() function we will use to start the service as a different user
. /etc/rc.d/init.d/functions

case "$1" in
start)
  if [ -f $PIDFILE ]; then
    printf "%s\n" "Service already running"
  else
    printf "%-50s" "Starting $NAME..."
    runuser $USER -c "$DAEMON $DAEMON_OPTS > /dev/null 2>&1 &"
    echo "Ok"
  fi
;;
status)
  printf "%-50s" "Checking $NAME..."
  if [ -f $PIDFILE ]; then
    PID=`cat $PIDFILE`
    if [ -z "`ps axf | grep ${PID} | grep -v grep`" ]; then
      printf "%s\n" "Process dead but pidfile exists"
    else
      echo "Running"
    fi
  else
    printf "%s\n" "Service not running"
  fi
;;
stop)
  printf "%-50s" "Stopping $NAME"
  PID=`cat $PIDFILE`
  if [ -f $PIDFILE ]; then
    kill $PID
    printf "%s\n" "Ok"
  else
    printf "%s\n" "pidfile not found"
  fi
;;

restart)
  $0 stop
  $0 start
;;

*)
  echo "Usage: $0 {status|start|stop|restart}"
  exit 1
esac