salt-minion can't start using upstart in docker container(ubuntu:raring)

[tallmad]

Salt-minion can start normally using command "salt-minion", but it can't start using "service salt-minion start" in docker container(docker official image ubuntu:raring)

[kiorky]

tha's normal as docker wont support upstart unless you hack you own image.

[kiorky]

see dotcloud/docker#2276

[tallmad]

@kiorky I installed redis-server, and started redis-server using 'service redis-server start' and the redis was started and worked well

[kiorky]

ps aux|grep init (from the container)

[kiorky]

The issue which your redis server starting is that you are certainly using one of those dumb base images which diverts initctl to /dev/null or /bin/true, so you though your service was started, but in fact, the redis was not started using the service command but by apt itself during installation. And yes, diverting init systems to /bin/true is more that an evil that a workaround :)

Just restart your container and i think your redis server wont be up as well :)

/cc @techhat as we discussed late this WE ^^.

[kiorky]

/cc @regilero

[kiorky]

Looking at redis-server packaging, in fact redis-server does not use upstart but an old init script

#! /bin/sh
### BEGIN INIT INFO
# Provides:     redis-server
# Required-Start:   $syslog
# Required-Stop:    $syslog
# Should-Start:     $local_fs
# Should-Stop:      $local_fs
# Default-Start:    2 3 4 5
# Default-Stop:     0 1 6
# Short-Description:    redis-server - Persistent key-value db
# Description:      redis-server - Persistent key-value db
### END INIT INFO

PATH=/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin
DAEMON=/usr/bin/redis-server
DAEMON_ARGS=/etc/redis/redis.conf
NAME=redis-server
DESC=redis-server
PIDFILE=/var/run/redis.pid

test -x $DAEMON || exit 0
test -x $DAEMONBOOTSTRAP || exit 0

set -e

case "$1" in
  start)
    echo -n "Starting $DESC: "
    touch $PIDFILE
    chown redis:redis $PIDFILE
    if start-stop-daemon --start --quiet --umask 007 --pidfile $PIDFILE --chuid redis:redis --exec $DAEMON -- $DAEMON_ARGS
    then
        echo "$NAME."
    else
        echo "failed"
    fi
    ;;
  stop)
    echo -n "Stopping $DESC: "
    if start-stop-daemon --stop --retry 10 --quiet --oknodo --pidfile $PIDFILE --exec $DAEMON
    then
        echo "$NAME."
    else
        echo "failed"
    fi
    rm -f $PIDFILE
    ;;

  restart|force-reload)
    ${0} stop
    ${0} start
    ;;
  *)
    echo "Usage: /etc/init.d/$NAME {start|stop|restart|force-reload}" >&2
    exit 1
    ;;
esac

exit 0

That's why redis-server start correctly when you invoke service start, it does not use upstart.

[kiorky]

So to try to sum up:

• If your application uses upstart, this wont fit well in bare docker images, and even more if they divert /sbin/init or /sbin/initctl to something like /bin/true or /dev/null.
• You application may use service to start if this one has an old school systemV initscript and if the initctl command has not been diverted.

In the case of salt-minion, on ubuntu the packaging uses an upstart job and no classical init script so it is normal that it wont start in both cases.

[tallmad]

very thanks for your detailed explanation !!! I'll close the issue.