How to run a script after startup on Ubuntu 14.04?

Question

I have scoured the web and tried numerous solutions. Nothing has worked for me so far, hence this question.

I have a rails application that I run with mongrel_rails start -e production -p 80. That command has to be run from the directory of the application, in this case "/var/myapp".

This is the setup:

/etc/mongrel.sh

#!/bin/bash
sleep 15;
cd /var/myapp/
mongrel_rails start -e production -p 80

I added this (sh /etc/mongrel.sh) before exit 0 in /etc/rc.local

The above does NOT work, but it does work when run manually sh /etc/mongrel.sh. I have also tried running this in a screen session using: screen -d -m *command*.

Any suggestions to get this working as desired? I need this application running after boot.

Solution 1

You can add your script in cron job.

To add the script in cron job follow the below steps

1. Open terminal with root access.
2. Run crontab -e this command will allow you to edit your cron.
3. Add the line @reboot sh /etc/mongrel.sh

The above process will execute that script once your computer boots up.

Solution 2

Call /etc/mongrel.sh from /etc/rc.local. This script called rc.local is executed after all the normal system services are started, at the end of the process of switching to a multiuser runlevel, so you might use it to start your service,

Comments

[Ralph]

I found a post suggesting the same. I have run crontab -e and added @reboot sh /etc/mongrel.sh to the file. Exited (automatically saved the file) and rebooted reboot, didn't help.

[vembutech]

Can you check Syslog file and check is it have any information about mongrel.sh script? and also under which you are try to run the script?

[Ralph]

This is the output of cat /var/log/syslog.

[Ralph]

Feb 24 08:50:57 vaatia-22-02-15 /usr/sbin/cron[1874]: (CRON) INFO (Running @reboot jobs)

[Ralph]

Feb 24 08:50:57 vaatia-22-02-15 /USR/SBIN/CRON[1901]: (root) CMD (sh /etc/mongrel.sh)

[Ralph]

I see that MySQL is being launched long after my script. My application requires MySQL. Will the sleep command in my script delay boot up and in the process, delay the launch of MySQL?

[vembutech]

From the syslog it stated that your script was running. If your script need MySQL service, then make sure MySQL services also running while you start the script.

[Ralph]

How do I make sure of that?

[vembutech]

To make the MySQL services start every time after reboot, you can use the command "sudo /sbin/chkconfig mysqld on"

[Ralph]

Thank you for your answer but I don't think you read the question. The script is already being called from /etc/rc.local.

[Ralph]

MySQL already starts after every reboot, I'm just concerned that my script is being run after MySQL starts.