> NOTE: This page was generated from the Puppet source code on 2024-09-30 11:26:40 -0700

# service

- Attributes
- Providers
- Provider Features

## Description

Manage running services. Service support unfortunately varies widely by platform — some platforms have very little if any concept of a running service, and some have a very codified and powerful concept. Puppet’s service support is usually capable of doing the right thing, but the more information you can provide, the better behaviour you will get.

Puppet 2.7 and newer expect init scripts to have a working status command. If this isn’t the case for any of your services’ init scripts, you will need to set `hasstatus` to false and possibly specify a custom status command in the `status` attribute. As a last resort, Puppet will attempt to search the process table by calling whatever command is listed in the `ps` fact. The default search pattern is the name of the service, but you can specify it with the `pattern` attribute.

Refresh: `service` resources can respond to refresh events (via `notify`, `subscribe`, or the `~>` arrow). If a `service` receives an event from another resource, Puppet will restart the service it manages. The actual command used to restart the service depends on the platform and can be configured:

- If you set `hasrestart` to true, Puppet will use the init script’s restart command.
- You can provide an explicit command for restarting with the `restart` attribute.
- If you do neither, the service’s stop and start commands will be used.

## Attributes

    service { 'resource title':
      name          => # (namevar) The name of the service to run.  This name is...
      ensure        => # Whether a service should be running. Default...
      binary        => # The path to the daemon.  This is only used for...
      control       => # The control variable used to manage services...
      enable        => # Whether a service should be enabled to start at...
      flags         => # Specify a string of flags to pass to the startup
      hasrestart    => # Specify that an init script has a `restart...
      hasstatus     => # Declare whether the service's init script has a...
      logonaccount  => # Specify an account for service...
      logonpassword => # Specify a password for service logon. Default...
      manifest      => # Specify a command to config a service, or a path
      path          => # The search path for finding init scripts....
      pattern       => # The pattern to search for in the process table...
      provider      => # The specific backend to use for this `service...
      restart       => # Specify a *restart* command manually.  If left...
      start         => # Specify a *start* command manually.  Most...
      status        => # Specify a *status* command manually.  This...
      stop          => # Specify a *stop* command...
      timeout       => # Specify an optional minimum timeout (in seconds)
      # ...plus any applicable metaparameters.
    }

### name

(Namevar: If omitted, this attribute’s value defaults to the resource’s title.)

The name of the service to run.

This name is used to find the service; on platforms where services have short system names and long display names, this should be the short name. (To take an example from Windows, you would use “wuauserv” rather than “Automatic Updates.”)

(↑ Back to service attributes)

### ensure

(Property: This attribute represents concrete state on the target system.)

Whether a service should be running. Default values depend on the platform.

Allowed values:

- `stopped`
- `running`
- `false`
- `true`

(↑ Back to service attributes)

### binary

The path to the daemon. This is only used for systems that do not support init scripts. This binary will be used to start the service if no `start` parameter is provided.

(↑ Back to service attributes)

### control

The control variable used to manage services (originally for HP-UX). Defaults to the upcased service name plus `START` replacing dots with underscores, for those providers that support the `controllable` feature.

(↑ Back to service attributes)

### enable

(Property: This attribute represents concrete state on the target system.)

Whether a service should be enabled to start at boot. This property behaves differently depending on the platform; wherever possible, it relies on local tools to enable or disable a given service. Default values depend on the platform.

If you don’t specify a value for the `enable` attribute, Puppet leaves that aspect of the service alone and your operating system determines the behavior.

Allowed values:

- `true`
- `false`
- `manual`
- `mask`
- `delayed`

Requires features enableable.

(↑ Back to service attributes)

### flags

(Property: This attribute represents concrete state on the target system.)

Specify a string of flags to pass to the startup script.

Requires features flaggable.

(↑ Back to service attributes)

### hasrestart

Specify that an init script has a `restart` command. If this is false and you do not specify a command in the `restart` attribute, the init script’s `stop` and `start` commands will be used.

Allowed values:

- `true`
- `false`

(↑ Back to service attributes)

### hasstatus

Declare whether the service’s init script has a functional status command. This attribute’s default value changed in Puppet 2.7.0.

The init script’s status command must return 0 if the service is running and a nonzero value otherwise. Ideally, these exit codes should conform to the LSB’s specification for init script status actions, but Puppet only considers the difference between 0 and nonzero to be relevant.

If a service’s init script does not support any kind of status command, you should set `hasstatus` to false and either provide a specific command using the `status` attribute or expect that Puppet will look for the service name in the process table. Be aware that ‘virtual’ init scripts (like ‘network’ under Red Hat systems) will respond poorly to refresh events from other resources if you override the default behavior without providing a status command.

Default: `true`

Allowed values:

- `true`
- `false`

(↑ Back to service attributes)

### logonaccount

(Property: This attribute represents concrete state on the target system.)

Specify an account for service logon

Requires features manages_logon_credentials.

(↑ Back to service attributes)

### logonpassword

Specify a password for service logon. Default value is an empty string (when logonaccount is specified).

Requires features manages_logon_credentials.

(↑ Back to service attributes)

### manifest

Specify a command to config a service, or a path to a manifest to do so.

(↑ Back to service attributes)

### path

The search path for finding init scripts. Multiple values should be separated by colons or provided as an array.

(↑ Back to service attributes)

### pattern

The pattern to search for in the process table. This is used for stopping services on platforms that do not support init scripts, and is also used for determining service status on those service whose init scripts do not include a status command.

Defaults to the name of the service. The pattern can be a simple string or any legal Ruby pattern, including regular expressions (which should be quoted without enclosing slashes).

(↑ Back to service attributes)

### provider

The specific backend to use for this `service` resource. You will seldom need to specify this — Puppet will usually discover the appropriate provider for your platform.

Available providers are:

- `base`
- `bsd`
- `daemontools`
- `debian`
- `freebsd`
- `gentoo`
- `init`
- `launchd`
- `openbsd`
- `openrc`
- `openwrt`
- `rcng`
- `redhat`
- `runit`
- `service`
- `smf`
- `src`
- `systemd`
- `upstart`
- `windows`

(↑ Back to service attributes)

### restart

Specify a restart command manually. If left unspecified, the service will be stopped and then started.

(↑ Back to service attributes)

### start

Specify a start command manually. Most service subsystems support a `start` command, so this will not need to be specified.

(↑ Back to service attributes)

### status

Specify a status command manually. This command must return 0 if the service is running and a nonzero value otherwise. Ideally, these exit codes should conform to the LSB’s specification for init script status actions, but Puppet only considers the difference between 0 and nonzero to be relevant.

If left unspecified, the status of the service will be determined automatically, usually by looking for the service in the process table.

(↑ Back to service attributes)

### stop

Specify a stop command manually.

(↑ Back to service attributes)

### timeout

Specify an optional minimum timeout (in seconds) for puppet to wait when syncing service properties

Requires features configurable_timeout.

(↑ Back to service attributes)

## Providers

### base

The simplest form of Unix service support.

You have to specify enough about your service for this to work; the minimum you can specify is a binary for starting the process, and this same binary will be searched for in the process table to stop the service. As with `init`-style services, it is preferable to specify start, stop, and status commands.

- Required binaries: `kill`

### bsd

Generic BSD form of `init`-style service management with `rc.d`.

Uses `rc.conf.d` for service enabling and disabling.

- Confined to: `os.name == [:freebsd, :dragonfly]`

### daemontools

Daemontools service management.

This provider manages daemons supervised by D.J. Bernstein daemontools. When detecting the service directory it will check, in order of preference:

- `/service`
- `/etc/service`
- `/var/lib/svscan`

The daemon directory should be in one of the following locations:

- `/var/lib/service`
- `/etc`

…or this can be overridden in the resource’s attributes:

    service { 'myservice':
      provider => 'daemontools',
      path     => '/path/to/daemons',
    }

This provider supports out of the box:

- start/stop (mapped to enable/disable)
- enable/disable
- restart
- status

If a service has `ensure => "running"`, it will link /path/to/daemon to /path/to/service, which will automatically enable the service.

If a service has `ensure => "stopped"`, it will only shut down the service, not remove the `/path/to/service` link.

- Required binaries: `/usr/bin/svc`, `/usr/bin/svstat`

### debian

Debian’s form of `init`-style management.

The only differences from `init` are support for enabling and disabling services via `update-rc.d` and the ability to determine enabled status via `invoke-rc.d`.

- Required binaries: `/usr/sbin/invoke-rc.d`, `/usr/sbin/service`, `/usr/sbin/update-rc.d`
- Confined to: `false == Puppet::FileSystem.exist?('/proc/1/comm') && Puppet::FileSystem.read('/proc/1/comm').include?('systemd')`
- Default for: `["os.name", "cumuluslinux"] == ["os.release.major", "%w[1 2]"]`, `["os.name", "debian"] == ["os.release.major", "%w[5 6 7]"]`, `["os.name", "devuan"] ==`

### freebsd

Provider for FreeBSD and DragonFly BSD. Uses the `rcvar` argument of init scripts and parses/edits rc files.

- Confined to: `os.name == [:freebsd, :dragonfly]`
- Default for: `["os.name", "[:freebsd, :dragonfly]"] ==`

### gentoo

Gentoo’s form of `init`-style service management.

Uses `rc-update` for service enabling and disabling.

- Required binaries: `/sbin/rc-update`
- Confined to: `os.name == gentoo`

### init

Standard `init`-style service management.

- Confined to: `false == Puppet.runtime[:facter].value('os.family') == 'RedHat'`

### launchd

This provider manages jobs with `launchd`, which is the default service framework for Mac OS X (and may be available for use on other platforms).

For more information, see the `launchd` man page:

- https://developer.apple.com/legacy/library/documentation/Darwin/Reference/ManPages/man8/launchd.8.html

This provider reads plists out of the following directories:

- `/System/Library/LaunchDaemons`
- `/System/Library/LaunchAgents`
- `/Library/LaunchDaemons`
- `/Library/LaunchAgents`

…and builds up a list of services based upon each plist’s “Label” entry.

This provider supports:

- ensure => running/stopped,
- enable => true/false
- status
- restart

Here is how the Puppet states correspond to `launchd` states:

- stopped — job unloaded
- started — job loaded
- enabled — ‘Disable’ removed from job plist file
- disabled — ‘Disable’ added to job plist file

Note that this allows you to do something `launchctl` can’t do, which is to be in a state of “stopped/enabled” or “running/disabled”.

Note that this provider does not support overriding ‘restart’

- Required binaries: `/bin/launchctl`
- Confined to: `os.name == darwin`, `feature == cfpropertylist`
- Default for: `["os.name", "darwin"] ==`
- Supported features: `enableable`, `refreshable`

### openbsd

Provider for OpenBSD’s rc.d daemon control scripts

- Required binaries: `/usr/sbin/rcctl`
- Confined to: `os.name == openbsd`
- Default for: `["os.name", "openbsd"] ==`
- Supported features: `flaggable`

### openrc

Support for Gentoo’s OpenRC initskripts

Uses rc-update, rc-status and rc-service to manage services.

- Required binaries: `/sbin/rc-service`, `/sbin/rc-update`
- Default for: `["os.name", "gentoo"] ==` , `["os.name", "funtoo"] ==`

### openwrt

Support for OpenWrt flavored init scripts.

Uses /etc/init.d/service_name enable, disable, and enabled.

- Confined to: `os.name == openwrt`
- Default for: `["os.name", "openwrt"] ==`
- Supported features: `enableable`

### rcng

RCng service management with rc.d

- Confined to: `os.name == [:netbsd, :cargos]`
- Default for: `["os.name", "[:netbsd, :cargos]"] ==`

### redhat

Red Hat’s (and probably many others’) form of `init`-style service management. Uses `chkconfig` for service enabling and disabling.

- Required binaries: `/sbin/chkconfig`, `/sbin/service`
- Default for: `["os.name", "amazon"] == ["os.release.major", "%w[2017 2018]"]`, `["os.name", "redhat"] == ["os.release.major", "(4..6).to_a"]`, `["os.family", "suse"] == ["os.release.major", "%w[10 11]"]`

### runit

Runit service management.

This provider manages daemons running supervised by Runit. When detecting the service directory it will check, in order of preference:

- `/service`
- `/etc/service`
- `/var/service`

The daemon directory should be in one of the following locations:

- `/etc/sv`
- `/var/lib/service`

or this can be overridden in the service resource parameters:

    service { 'myservice':
      provider => 'runit',
      path     => '/path/to/daemons',
    }

This provider supports out of the box:

- start/stop

- enable/disable

- restart

- status

- Required binaries: `/usr/bin/sv`

### service

The simplest form of service support.

### smf

Support for Sun’s new Service Management Framework.

When managing the enable property, this provider will try to preserve the previous ensure state per the enableable semantics. On Solaris, enabling a service starts it up while disabling a service stops it. Thus, there’s a chance for this provider to execute two operations when managing the enable property. For example, if enable is set to true and the ensure state is stopped, this provider will manage the service using two operations: one to enable the service which will start it up, and another to stop the service (without affecting its enabled status).

By specifying `manifest => "/path/to/service.xml"`, the SMF manifest will be imported if it does not exist.

- Required binaries: `/usr/bin/svcs`, `/usr/sbin/svcadm`, `/usr/sbin/svccfg`
- Confined to: `os.family == solaris`
- Default for: `["os.family", "solaris"] ==`
- Supported features: `refreshable`

### src

Support for AIX’s System Resource controller.

Services are started/stopped based on the `stopsrc` and `startsrc` commands, and some services can be refreshed with `refresh` command.

Enabling and disabling services is not supported, as it requires modifications to `/etc/inittab`. Starting and stopping groups of subsystems is not yet supported.

- Confined to: `os.name == aix`
- Default for: `["os.name", "aix"] ==`
- Supported features: `refreshable`

### systemd

Manages `systemd` services using `systemctl`.

Because `systemd` defaults to assuming the `.service` unit type, the suffix may be omitted. Other unit types (such as `.path`) may be managed by providing the proper suffix.

- Required binaries: `systemctl`
- Confined to: `true == Puppet::FileSystem.exist?('/proc/1/comm') && Puppet::FileSystem.read('/proc/1/comm').include?('systemd')`
- Default for: `["os.family", "[:archlinux]"] ==` , `["os.family", "redhat"] ==` , `["os.family", "redhat"] == ["os.name", "fedora"]`, `["os.family", "suse"] ==` , `["os.family", "coreos"] ==` , `["os.family", "gentoo"] ==` , `["os.name", "amazon"] == ["os.release.major", "%w[2 2023]"]`, `["os.name", "debian"] ==` , `["os.name", "LinuxMint"] ==` , `["os.name", "ubuntu"] ==` , `["os.name", "cumuluslinux"] == ["os.release.major", "%w[3 4]"]`, `["os.name", "raspbian"] == ["os.release.major", "%w[12]"]`

### upstart

Ubuntu service management with `upstart`.

This provider manages `upstart` jobs on Ubuntu. For `upstart` documentation, see http://upstart.ubuntu.com/.

- Required binaries: `/sbin/initctl`, `/sbin/restart`, `/sbin/start`, `/sbin/status`, `/sbin/stop`
- Confined to: `any == [ Puppet.runtime[:facter].value('os.name') == 'Ubuntu', (Puppet.runtime[:facter].value('os.family') == 'RedHat' and Puppet.runtime[:facter].value('os.release.full') =~ /^6\./), (Puppet.runtime[:facter].value('os.name') == 'Amazon' and Puppet.runtime[:facter].value('os.release.major') =~ /\d{4}/), Puppet.runtime[:facter].value('os.name') == 'LinuxMint' ]`, `true == -> { has_initctl? }`
- Default for: `["os.name", "ubuntu"] == ["os.release.major", "[\"10.04\", \"12.04\", \"14.04\", \"14.10\"]"]`, `["os.name", "LinuxMint"] == ["os.release.major", "%w[10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17]"]`
- Supported features: `enableable`

### windows

Support for Windows Service Control Manager (SCM). This provider can start, stop, enable, and disable services, and the SCM provides working status methods for all services.

Control of service groups (dependencies) is not yet supported, nor is running services as a specific user.

- Confined to: `os.name == windows`
- Default for: `["os.name", "windows"] ==`
- Supported features: `configurable_timeout`, `manages_logon_credentials`, `refreshable`

## Provider Features

Available features:

- `configurable_timeout` — The provider can specify a minumum timeout for syncing service properties
- `controllable` — The provider uses a control variable.
- `delayed_startable` — The provider can set service to delayed start
- `enableable` — The provider can enable and disable the service.
- `flaggable` — The provider can pass flags to the service.
- `manages_logon_credentials` — The provider can specify the logon credentials used for a service
- `manual_startable` — The provider can set service to manual start
- `maskable` — The provider can ‘mask’ the service.
- `refreshable` — The provider can restart the service.

Provider support:

- base - No supported Provider features
- bsd - No supported Provider features
- daemontools - No supported Provider features
- debian - No supported Provider features
- freebsd - No supported Provider features
- gentoo - No supported Provider features
- init - No supported Provider features
- launchd - enableable, refreshable
- openbsd - flaggable
- openrc - No supported Provider features
- openwrt - enableable
- rcng - No supported Provider features
- redhat - No supported Provider features
- runit - No supported Provider features
- service - No supported Provider features
- smf - refreshable
- src - refreshable
- systemd - No supported Provider features
- upstart - enableable
- windows - refreshable, configurable timeout, manages logon credentials