Upstart script doesn't start

Question

Ubuntu 10.04

I have created this upstart script (/etc/init/pure-ftpd.conf):

# pure-ftpd - FTP server

description "Pure-FTPd server"

start on filesystem
stop on runlevel S

respawn
respawn limit 10 5
pid file /var/run/pure-ftpd.pid
console output

pre-start script
    test -x /usr/local/sbin/pure-ftpd || { stop; exit 0; }
end script

exec /usr/local/sbin/pure-ftpd --maxclientsnumber 2 --maxclientsperip 10 --prohibitdotfileswrite --prohibitdotfilesread --noanonymous --chrooteveryone --dontresolve --nochmod --pidfile /var/run/pure-ftpd.pid

But...

# start pure-ftpd
start: Unknown job: pure-ftpd

and

# service pure-ftpd start
start: Unknown job: pure-ftpd

What's the problem?
Is it necessary to do something more?
Is it necessary to create one script in /etc/init.d too?

Answer 1

It usually means you have an error in the .conf file - for instance I'm not sure the pid stanza is supported in 10.04, stop can't be used in the script etc.

I'd try starting the file from scratch (with only start, stop etc), and then slowly building it up by adding more and more lines and testing it via start pure-ftpd.

For example:

# cat pure-ftpd.conf 
start on filesystem
stop on runlevel S

respawn
respawn limit 10 5

# start pure-ftpd
pure-ftpd start/running

# cat pure-ftpd.conf 
start on filesystem
stop on runlevel S

respawn
respawn limit 10 5
pid file /var/run/pure-ftpd.pid

# start pure-ftpd
start: Unknown job: pure-ftpd

Answer 2

The most relevant reference for job file syntax will be available when you run the command:

man 5 init

on your system. For Ubuntu 10.04, as you found in the previous answer, the pid file syntax is incorrect.

Any time you get that 'unknown job" error back, its a good idea to check the logs (pre 11.04, /var/log/daemon.log, 11.04 and greater everything goes in /var/log/syslog)

You may see an error like this:

init: /etc/init/test.conf:2: Unknown stanza