Trying initctl, commands in error not logged

[flaflashr]

I am trying to use initctl to run a script when I boot this machine, running Kubuntu 12.04 with all patches. (I was very comfortable on previous releases using init.d, but this is my first foray into initctl.) I created a script, then am running it with initctl.

When I run it manually (sudo initctl start bkupHPmedia), it works correctly.

However, when I let it auto-run at boot time, some of the commands are being successfully executed (I can see their results on the target system they connect to). Others are apparently failing, but I cannot see why. There is no log being created by initctl (although I think there is a way to do so, but haven't found it).

Here is my conf file from /etc/init/bkupHP.conf
# backup HP media service
description "backup HP media"
author "Jim R"

start on (local-filesystems and net-device-up IFACE!=lo and networking and network-manager )
stop on runlevel [016]

expect fork
normal exit 0 1 2 3 4

task
exec /backups/HPdesktop/multimedia/bkupHPmedia
===
That script does the following:
#!/bin/bash
sleep 120
# see if the target host is online
ping -c1 192.168.1.107
rcping=$?
if [rcping -gt 0]
then exit rcping
fi
#
cd /backups/HPdesktop/multimedia
# use the port knocker to open the ssh port on the HP desktop
wget 192.168.1.107:NNNN
sleep 5
#
wget 192.168.1.107:NNNN
sleep 5
#
wget 192.168.1.107:NNNN
sleep 5
#
rsync -av kd1yv3@192.168.1.107:/multimedia/images ./
sleep 5
#
===

I can see the successful results of the wget commands on the target system, so I know that they are working. However, the rsync is not retrieving newly modified files.

As I stated, it works perfectly if I run it from the command line, but not if it auto-runs at boot time.

If nothing else, I need to know how to get all of the commands to log so I can see what is wrong.

Thanks

JimR

[vinnywright]

is /multimedia/images in /home or on / , or in a different partition or disk?

if a diferent partition is it mounted at the time the script is being ran ?

VINNY

[flaflashr]

I figured out why rsync wasn't working when run at boot. Since it was running as root instead of my normal account, the ssh keys were different. I corrected those, and all worked correctly.

However, that does not explain the lack of logging. Any suggestions?

Thanks,
JimR

[flaflashr]

is /multimedia/images in /home or on / , or in a different partition or disk?

if a diferent partition is it mounted at the time the script is being ran ?

It's a different partition, but it mounted when that machine starts. That system (actually the source of the data being rsync'ed) stays up for long periods. The machine where I am running the initctl shuts down and starts frequently.

Thanks,
JimR

[james147]

I figured out why rsync wasn't working when run at boot. Since it was running as root instead of my normal account, the ssh keys were different. I corrected those, and all worked correctly.

However, that does not explain the lack of logging. Any suggestions?

Thanks,
JimR

You can always

rsync -av kd1yv3@192.168.1.107:/multimedia/images ./ &>> /var/log/rsync.log