service

NAME

service - administer an Interix/Interix service

SYNOPSIS

service grant [domain+]user
service help [subcommand]
service install [-n name] [-d displayname] [-u [domain+]user]
		[-p password] [-s starttype] pathname [args...]
service list [-a]
service remove name
service revoke [domain+]user
service start service
service stop service
service update -n name [-g group] [-d displayname]
		[-u [domain+]user] [-p password] [-s starttype]
		[[-D dependency] ... ] [[-G groupdepend] ... ]

The service(1) utility installs and administers Interix programs being run as Windows services. You need Administrator privileges to run service(1) with any subcommands other than help or list.

Each service has a name, which is unique on the system. The name is the base name of the command path name, or it can be specified when the service is installed by using the -n option.

For more information, and for guidelines on how to write a Interix service program, see Interix Overview in Windows Services for UNIX Help.

The service(1) utility includes the following subcommands:

grant [domain+]user

Grant the service-logon privilege to the specified user. Specify domain if the domain that user belongs to is not the same as domain of the user running the command. A user must possess the service-logon privilege if a service is be run as that user; otherwise, the service will not start. Note that the install subcommand grants this privilege automatically if the -u option is specified.

install [-n name] [-d displayname] [-u [domain+]user] [-p password] [-s starttype] pathname [args...]

Install the program specified by pathname as a service, with the specified arguments args. The pathname must be the absolute path name of a Interix executable residing on a local file system. If the program is on a network drive, the install will fail. (The Windows service controller runs under a privileged account that does not have access to networked file systems.) The install options are explained later in this topic.

list [-a]

List installed Interix services. If the -a option is specified, both Win32 and Interix services will be listed.

remove name

Remove the specified service.

revoke [domain+]user

Revoke the service-logon privilege of the specified user. Specify domain if the domain that user belongs to is not the same as domain of the user running the command. (If a user name and password are supplied to the install subcommand, the user will be granted the service-logon privilege. The remove subcommand does not revoke this privilege, however.)

start name

Start the service that has the specified name.

stop name

Stop (kill) the service with the specified name.

update -n name [-g group] [-d displayname] [-u [domain+]user] [-p password] [-s starttype] [[-D dependency] ... ] [[-G groupdepend] ... ]

Update the configuration for the service with the name name. The following options are recognized:

-D dependency: The service has (or should have) a dependency on the service identified by dependency.
-d displayname: Set the name displayed in the service control panel to displayname.
-G groupdepend: Name of the load order group upon which this service depends.
-g group: The load order group to which this service belongs. By default, all services load at the same time, which can cause contention for resources that slows boots. By assigning some services to a different load order group, the system startup can be made more orderly.
-n name: The name of the service. This is required.
-p password: User's password.
-s starttype: Set the service's start type to be either auto (start up automatically at boot time) or manual. Because there should be no Interix processes running when you install an update of Interix, it is useful to reset the service startup types to manual first, and then reboot.
-u [domain+]user: The name of the user running the service. Specify domain if the domain that user belongs to is not the same as domain of the user running the command.

When installing a service, the following options are recognized:

-d displayname: Display the name displayname in Services in the Administrative Tools folder within Control Panel. The display name defaults to the name specified by the -n option.
-n name: Give the service the specified name. The name defaults to the base name of the service program's path name. Each installed service must have a unique name.
-p passwd: The password for the user.
-s starttype: Start the service as the specified starttype, which is one of auto (start the service at boot time) or manual (start only on request).
-u [domain+]user: Run service with the permissions of user. Specify domain if the domain that user belongs to is not the same as domain of the user running the command. If a user is specified, a password must also be supplied. If no user is specified, the service runs as the built-in user LocalSystem, and no password is required.

EXIT STATUS

The service(1) utility returns 0 on success and >0 on failure. It is not a failure if the service does not start.

FILES

The service(1) command makes use of the following files:

$SYSTEMROOT/system32/psxrun.exe: The Win32 program that mediates between the Interix and Win32 service mechanisms. SYSTEMROOT is the installed directory for Windows, typically C:\WINNT.

NOTES

As mentioned above, services do not have access to networked file systems. Services cannot automatically mount drives. A user logged in through a service (such as telnetd(1)), has access to any drives mounted by the current user sitting at the physical console, using their mappings (subject to the usual permissions). Because these mappings change from user to user, it is best not to rely on the existence of any networked drives.

It is also best not to try to mount the drive while logged in through telnet(1), for example, because this makes the drive unavailable to users at the physical console and has unpleasant interactions with the Win32 login program. Do not use NET.EXE from a telnet(1) session.