init-checkconf returns seemingly random results

[Rich Drewes]

While tracking down a problem related to upstart, I decided to check the syntax of all my upstart init files. I wrote this simple script:

for a in /etc/init/*; do init-checkconf $a; done 2>&1 | grep invalid

This script said that a number of files had syntax errors. When the file with the error is checked individually on the command line with init-checkconf, it shows no error.

Running the script again showed a different set of files with errors. Checking each file individually on the command line does not show an error.

Running it a third time gave yet another set of files with errors.

Why would this give different results each time it is run? Why does init-checkconf report seemingly random syntax errors when run in a script?

Rich

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
Package: upstart 1.12.1-0ubuntu4.2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-32.57-generic 3.13.11.4
Uname: Linux 3.13.0-32-generic x86_64
.etc.init.glusterfs.server.override: manual
.etc.init.mounting.glusterfs.override: manual
.etc.init.mysql.override: manual
ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.5
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: Unity
Date: Mon Dec 8 13:08:53 2014
ProcKernelCmdline: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.13.0-32-generic root=UUID=0feac9b2-7f2c-44ed-af0a-e7ace6c02b41 ro nomdmonddf nomdmonisw nomdmonddf nomdmonisw
SourcePackage: upstart
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to trusty on 2014-04-19 (233 days ago)
UpstartBugCategory: System
UpstartRunningSessionVersion: init (upstart 1.12.1)
UpstartRunningSystemVersion: init (upstart 1.12.1)
modified.conffile..etc.at.deny: [inaccessible: [Errno 13] Permission denied: '/etc/at.deny']
modified.conffile..etc.dconf.db.gdm: [modified]
modified.conffile..etc.default.cups: [modified]
modified.conffile..etc.init.d.smbd: [modified]
modified.conffile..etc.vsftpd.conf: [modified]
mtime.conffile..etc.dconf.db.gdm: 2014-07-31T12:57:17
mtime.conffile..etc.default.cups: 2014-04-19T12:34:54
mtime.conffile..etc.init.d.smbd: 2014-12-08T11:57:38.341196
mtime.conffile..etc.vsftpd.conf: 2014-06-06T13:12:21

[Rich Drewes (drewes)]

For example, here are two consecutive runs of the script showing different results:

root@ladastra:/etc/init# for a in /etc/init/*; do init-checkconf $a; done 2>&1 | grep invalid
ERROR: File /etc/init/alsa-state.conf: syntax invalid:
ERROR: File /etc/init/alsa-store.conf: syntax invalid:
ERROR: File /etc/init/avahi-daemon.conf: syntax invalid:
ERROR: File /etc/init/binfmt-support.conf: syntax invalid:
ERROR: File /etc/init/bluetooth.conf: syntax invalid:
ERROR: File /etc/init/cryptdisks.conf: syntax invalid:
ERROR: File /etc/init/ecryptfs-utils-save.conf: syntax invalid:
ERROR: File /etc/init/glusterfs-server.conf: syntax invalid:
ERROR: File /etc/init/lightdm.conf: syntax invalid:
ERROR: File /etc/init/mountall-shell.conf: syntax invalid:
ERROR: File /etc/init/mountdevsubfs.sh.conf: syntax invalid:
ERROR: File /etc/init/mountnfs.sh.conf: syntax invalid:
ERROR: File /etc/init/nvidia-persistenced.conf: syntax invalid:
ERROR: File /etc/init/qemu-kvm.conf: syntax invalid:
ERROR: File /etc/init/reload-smbd.conf: syntax invalid:
ERROR: File /etc/init/resolvconf.conf: syntax invalid:
ERROR: File /etc/init/startpar-bridge.conf: syntax invalid:
ERROR: File /etc/init/tty5.conf: syntax invalid:
ERROR: File /etc/init/upstart-socket-bridge.conf: syntax invalid:
ERROR: File /etc/init/ureadahead-other.conf: syntax invalid:
ERROR: File /etc/init/whoopsie.conf: syntax invalid:
root@ladastra:/etc/init# for a in /etc/init/*; do init-checkconf $a; done 2>&1 | grep invalid
ERROR: File /etc/init/console-font.conf: syntax invalid:
ERROR: File /etc/init/failsafe.conf: syntax invalid:
ERROR: File /etc/init/hwclock-save.conf: syntax invalid:
ERROR: File /etc/init/mountall-bootclean.sh.conf: syntax invalid:
ERROR: File /etc/init/mountall-net.conf: syntax invalid:
ERROR: File /etc/init/mountall-reboot.conf: syntax invalid:
ERROR: File /etc/init/mountall-shell.conf: syntax invalid:
ERROR: File /etc/init/mounted-run.conf: syntax invalid:
ERROR: File /etc/init/passwd.conf: syntax invalid:
ERROR: File /etc/init/plymouth.conf: syntax invalid:
ERROR: File /etc/init/plymouth-splash.conf: syntax invalid:
ERROR: File /etc/init/rfkill-store.conf: syntax invalid:
ERROR: File /etc/init/statd-mounting.conf: syntax invalid:
ERROR: File /etc/init/systemd-logind.conf: syntax invalid:
ERROR: File /etc/init/tty1.conf: syntax invalid:

Then if I run the check on the single file tty1.conf, which returned a syntax error on the scripted run, it returns no error:

root@ladastra:/etc/init# init-checkconf /etc/init/tty1.conf
File /etc/init/tty1.conf: syntax ok

[Rich Drewes (drewes)]

Actually, it seems there isn't anything in particular about being in a script that causes init-checkconf to return random results. If I repeat the same command a number of times the results vary:

----
root@ladastra:/oldroot/home/drewes# init-checkconf /etc/init/tty5.conf
File /etc/init/tty5.conf: syntax ok
root@ladastra:/oldroot/home/drewes# init-checkconf /etc/init/tty5.conf
File /etc/init/tty5.conf: syntax ok
root@ladastra:/oldroot/home/drewes# init-checkconf /etc/init/tty5.conf
File /etc/init/tty5.conf: syntax ok
root@ladastra:/oldroot/home/drewes# init-checkconf /etc/init/tty5.conf
ERROR: File /etc/init/tty5.conf: syntax invalid:
root@ladastra:/oldroot/home/drewes# init-checkconf /etc/init/tty5.conf
File /etc/init/tty5.conf: syntax ok
root@ladastra:/oldroot/home/drewes# init-checkconf /etc/init/tty5.conf
File /etc/init/tty5.conf: syntax ok
root@ladastra:/oldroot/home/drewes# init-checkconf /etc/init/tty5.conf
File /etc/init/tty5.conf: syntax ok
root@ladastra:/oldroot/home/drewes# init-checkconf /etc/init/tty5.conf
File /etc/init/tty5.conf: syntax ok
root@ladastra:/oldroot/home/drewes# init-checkconf /etc/init/tty5.conf
File /etc/init/tty5.conf: syntax ok
root@ladastra:/oldroot/home/drewes# init-checkconf /etc/init/tty5.conf
File /etc/init/tty5.conf: syntax ok
root@ladastra:/oldroot/home/drewes# init-checkconf /etc/init/tty5.conf
File /etc/init/tty5.conf: syntax ok
root@ladastra:/oldroot/home/drewes# init-checkconf /etc/init/tty5.conf
File /etc/init/tty5.conf: syntax ok
root@ladastra:/oldroot/home/drewes# init-checkconf /etc/init/tty5.conf
File /etc/init/tty5.conf: syntax ok
root@ladastra:/oldroot/home/drewes# init-checkconf /etc/init/tty5.conf
File /etc/init/tty5.conf: syntax ok
root@ladastra:/oldroot/home/drewes# init-checkconf /etc/init/tty5.conf
ERROR: File /etc/init/tty5.conf: syntax invalid:
root@ladastra:/oldroot/home/drewes# init-checkconf /etc/init/tty5.conf
File /etc/init/tty5.conf: syntax ok
----

As is evident, sometimes the syntax is reported as being ok and sometimes invalid.

Rich

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Leandro Heck (leoheck)]

Same here in the land of Ubuntu 16.04. Please fix this! Sometimes it works, sometimes don't. I didn't touch the .conf file bat it is opened in the text editor.

✘ lheck@moon  ~/Desktop  init-checkconf /etc/init/gaph.conf
File /etc/init/gaph.conf: syntax ok
 lheck@moon  ~/Desktop  init-checkconf /etc/init/gaph.conf
File /etc/init/gaph.conf: syntax ok
 lheck@moon  ~/Desktop  init-checkconf /etc/init/gaph.conf
ERROR: File /etc/init/gaph.conf: syntax invalid:
 ✘ lheck@moon  ~/Desktop  init-checkconf /etc/init/gaph.conf
ERROR: File /etc/init/gaph.conf: syntax invalid: