A script to run any executable in background, check if it is already running, or kill the process tree (includes children spawned from main executable).

init.sh

#!/bin/bash
# simple service checker, starter, process tree killer

# usage:
#  init.sh <script_path> [start|stop|status|restart]


SCRIPT=$1
ACTION=$2

BASENAME=$(basename $SCRIPT)
NAME=$BASENAME
GROUPPID=$(ps x -o "%r %c" | grep -v grep | grep -v init | grep $BASENAME | awk '{print "-" $1}')
RUNNING="$(ps aux | grep -v grep | grep -v cron/init | grep -c $BASENAME)"
STOP="kill -TERM $GROUPPID"

## uncommment this for logging
#LOGFILE="/var/log/initsh/$(basename $SCRIPT).log"
#ERRFILE="/var/log/initsh/$(basename $SCRIPT).err"
#mkdir -p /var/log/initsh
## commment this for logging
LOGFILE="/dev/null"
ERRFILE="/dev/null"

case "$ACTION" in
    "start")
        if [ "$RUNNING" -eq "0" ]; then
            echo "Init: Starting $NAME"
            $SCRIPT 1>> $LOGFILE 2>> $ERRFILE &
        else
            echo "Init: $NAME is running"
        fi
        ;;
    "stop")
        if [ "$RUNNING" -eq "0" ]; then
            echo "Init: $NAME is NOT running";
        else
            echo "Init: Stopping $NAME"
            $STOP
        fi
        ;;
    "status")
        if [ "$RUNNING" -eq "0" ]; then
            echo "Init: $NAME is NOT running";
        else
            echo "Init: $NAME is running"
        fi
        ;;
    "restart")
        if [ "$RUNNING" -eq "0" ]; then
            echo "Init: Starting $NAME"
            $SCRIPT 1>> $LOGFILE 2>> $ERRFILE &
        else
            echo "Init: Stopping $NAME"
            $STOP
            echo "Init: Starting $NAME"
            $SCRIPT 1>> $LOGFILE 2>> $ERRFILE &
        fi
        ;;
    *)
        # do nothing (help)
        echo "usage:"
        echo "  $0 <script_path> [start|stop|status|restart]"
        ;;
esac

To do:

• add executable check
• add confirmation of successful start check ($? and 'status')
• add option for log directory location?

Notes:

• cannot use $? for backgrounded process
• should use pidof -x $BASENAME to check status?