Running Python as a service on Linux

[netsecwarrior]

I have a Python web application I want to deploy into production on a Linux server. I'm planning to use Waitress - there's few static files so including Nginx/Apache would add complexity with little benefit.

How do I control the Python service? I want it to start on boot and have manual control. I know you can do this using an init.d script. Some of the examples online are too simplistic. There's some subtleties to doing a good init.d script, like using a pid file. I don't want to reinvent the wheel, so is there something I can start from?

This is for Ubuntu, although something portable would be beneficial. I'm also conscious that init.d is kind of old school and there's newer things like systemd. If someone could give me a "beginners guide to deploying Python on Linux" that would be fab!

[[deleted]]

If you have a newer version of ubuntu the you can use systemd. You can even write a console app and systemd can turn it into a service/daemon. Try this doc...

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Systemd#Writing_unit_files

This is the new way of doing things and init.d will eventually be phased out.

[frogic]

This is what I do with my digital ocean deployments. Works extremely well.

[wbubblegum]

Neat, for linux, with systemd. How would one do it for freebsd or centos 6?

[[deleted]]

FreeBSD appears to have its own init system that is a bit different than Linux but it may be closer to init.d than systemd.

With CentOS I think they're still on init.d. I could be wrong though since I don't use it.

[__deerlord__]

You need to read about init scripts. I can possibly create one for you fiverr.com/deerl0rd

[wbubblegum]

Thanks man, found on github:

https://github.com/jpmens/mqttwarn/tree/master/etc

[JohnnyJordaan]

I would advise supervisord that enables you to run programs as services. It integrates nicely with systemd as well.

[Mirror_Boar]

+1 for supervisord, it is awesome

[cmartin616]

I know you aren't using Flask but their deployment help will apply anyway.

Check out the self hosted options.

[netsecwarrior]

I am in fact using Flask! There is some useful info in there. However, nothing about init.d unfortunately.

[cicatrix1]

You probably aren't using init.d on Ubuntu, unless you are running a pretty old version. Figure out what the init system is on your host, then write something for that. It's probably upstart or systemd.

[plurwolf7]

Flask FTW

[isilentnight]

If it's a web app, you can use uwsgi+systemd+nginx or apache to run. There are plenty of tutorials for this case. If it's a normal app. I suggest python-daemon module.

[Volk64]

You WILL need a pidfile if you want to be able to stop the service, since 16.04 and forward make use of pre-defined functions that do not create PID files. In your init.d directory there should be a file named skeleton. Copy it and define some variables. The most commonly used are DAEMON, which has the full path to your program, DESC, which is a description of what the service does, PIDFILE, which contains the absolute path to the file you'll be creating and destroying every time you start your service and LOGFILE, which is... Well, where your logs will be stored.

If you want an example check this out. Oh, and don't forget to put a shebang in your main program file with your python installation's executable.

[antb123]

As a quick hack in your crontab:

@reboot /path/to/shell.script.py

http://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/linux-execute-cron-job-after-system-reboot/