[Bug 1210242] [NEW] respawn behavior confusing, default limit insufficient

[Dan Kegel]

Public bug reported:

This is an enhancement request.  I have not yet checked 13.04 or
upstream to see if things have changes since 12.04.

Consider the job false.conf:

respawn
#respawn limit 10 15
script
  sleep 1
  false
end script

First problem:
After "initctl start false", this job will respawn forever, because the default spawn limit of "10 5"
does not consider jobs that take one second to be runaway jobs, even if they always fail.

Second problem:
with that job still respawning, uncomment the respawn limit line.
It will continue respawning forever.  Wasn't upstart supposed to watch config files?

Third problem:
watching syslog only tells you that a job ended with status 1 and is being respawned.
It would be lovely if that line showed how much of the spawn limit was left, to give upstart novices a little help in understanding what's going on.

All three of these issues hit me, a relative upstart novice, this
morning.  It took about an hour to get unconfused.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: upstart 1.5-0ubuntu7.2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-49.75-generic 3.2.46
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-49-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu17.3
Architecture: amd64
Date: Thu Aug  8 10:46:26 2013
MarkForUpload: True
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_US:
 TERM=xterm
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: upstart
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

** Affects: upstart (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New


** Tags: amd64 apport-bug precise

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1210242

Title:
  respawn behavior confusing, default limit insufficient

Status in “upstart” package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  This is an enhancement request.  I have not yet checked 13.04 or
  upstream to see if things have changes since 12.04.

  Consider the job false.conf:

  respawn
  #respawn limit 10 15
  script
    sleep 1
    false
  end script

  First problem:
  After "initctl start false", this job will respawn forever, because the default spawn limit of "10 5"
  does not consider jobs that take one second to be runaway jobs, even if they always fail.

  Second problem:
  with that job still respawning, uncomment the respawn limit line.
  It will continue respawning forever.  Wasn't upstart supposed to watch config files?

  Third problem:
  watching syslog only tells you that a job ended with status 1 and is being respawned.
  It would be lovely if that line showed how much of the spawn limit was left, to give upstart novices a little help in understanding what's going on.

  All three of these issues hit me, a relative upstart novice, this
  morning.  It took about an hour to get unconfused.

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
  Package: upstart 1.5-0ubuntu7.2
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-49.75-generic 3.2.46
  Uname: Linux 3.2.0-49-generic x86_64
  NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
  ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu17.3
  Architecture: amd64
  Date: Thu Aug  8 10:46:26 2013
  MarkForUpload: True
  ProcEnviron:
   LANGUAGE=en_US:
   TERM=xterm
   PATH=(custom, no user)
   LANG=en_US.UTF-8
   SHELL=/bin/bash
  SourcePackage: upstart
  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

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