Running ZNC as a system daemon

Note: if you just want to run ZNC automatically, when server is turned on, look here instead.

To have ZNC run at boot time as a system daemon we will create a user and group to run ZNC from a configuration we created and then called at each time the system boots. All the commands are expected to run as an administrator.

• Create a new system user with accompanying group and a shell that cannot be used to login with:

sudo adduser --system --shell /sbin/nologin --comment "Account to run ZNC daemon" --user-group znc

• Make the configuration we will run at startup:

sudo -u znc /usr/bin/znc --datadir=/var/lib/znc --makeconf

• Install an init file:

1. create a file /etc/init.d/znc with the following content:

#!/bin/sh
#
# znc - Advanced IRC Bouncer INIT script #
# description: An Advanced IRC bouncer INIT script for
# Source function library.
. /etc/rc.d/init.d/functions

exec=/usr/bin/znc
prog=znc
config=/var/lib/znc
runas=znc

lockfile=/var/lock/subsys/$prog

start() {
	[ -x $exec ] || exit 5
	echo -n $"Starting $prog: "
	# if not running, start it up here, usually something like "daemon $exec"
	daemon --user $runas "$exec -d $config >/dev/null 2>&1"
	# If you're reckless with your system, comment the line above and
	# uncomment this one below... I just don't get it why
	# daemon "$exec -r -d $config >/dev/null 2>&1"
	retval=$?
	echo
	[ $retval -eq 0 ] && touch $lockfile
	return $retval
}

stop() {
	echo -n $"Stopping $prog: "
	# stop it here, often "killproc $prog"
	killproc $prog -TERM
	retval=$?
	echo
	[ $retval -eq 0 ] && rm -f $lockfile
	return $retval
}

reload() {
	echo -n $"Reloading $prog: "
	# stop it here, often "killproc $prog"
	killproc $prog -HUP
	retval=$?
	echo
}

restart() {
	stop
	start
}

rh_status() {
	# run checks to determine if the service is running or use generic status
	status $prog
}

rh_status_q() {
	rh_status >/dev/null 2>&1
}

case "$1" in
	start)
		rh_status_q && exit 0
		$1
		;;
	stop)
		rh_status_q || exit 0
		$1
		;;
	restart)
		$1
		;;
	reload)
		rh_status_q || exit 7
		$1
		;;
	status)
		rh_status
		;;
	condrestart|try-restart)
		rh_status_q || exit 0
		restart
		;;
	*)
		echo $"Usage: $0 {start|stop|status|reload|restart|condrestart|try-restart}"
		exit 2
esac
exit $?

1. Give the right permissions to this file:

chmod 755 /etc/init.d/znc

1. Execute:

update-rc.d znc defaults

Now that all the pieces are in place you can now start the service yourself or restart the computer for the daemon to take its place.

• Start the service:

service znc start

• Verify that the service is running:

service znc status