[Alug]Bourne shell script for APM: help request

6 Jun 2003

      I'm trying to run the command

sleepd --sleep-command "/usr/bin/apm -S" -u 900

to conserve some energy, by putting my computer in standby after 15
minute of idling.  This command works fine when I type it at a tcsh or
sh prompt, but now I want to run it at boot time.

The Debian booting structure is guiding me to do this via a
distro-provided script, /etc/rc5.d/S20sleepd (a symlink to somewhere
else, IIRC.)  I've appended the full text of this script below, but I
think the crucial bits are

#! /bin/sh

DAEMON=/usr/sbin/sleepd
NAME=sleepd

PARAMS=""
if [ -e /etc/default/sleepd ]; then
   . /etc/default/sleepd
fi

case "$1" in
  start)
  start-stop-daemon --start --quiet --pidfile /var/run/$NAME.pid \
		    --exec $DAEMON -- $PARAMS
		    ;;

esac

exit 0

I'm supposed to set things up the way I like them by editing a line in
/etc/default/sleepd that says PARAMS=something-or-other.  I've tried
various permutations, all of which give error messages, e.g.

PARAMS=--sleep-command "apm -S" -u 900

 -> /etc/rc5.d/S20sleepd: apm -S: command not found

PARAMS='--sleep-command "apm -S" -u 900'

 -> /usr/sbin/sleepd: invalid option -- S
    /usr/sbin/sleepd: invalid option -- "

PARAMS=--sleep-command apm -S -u 900

 -> usage: apm [-VvmMsSd] [--verbose] [--minutes] [--monitor]
    [--suspend] [--standby]

I suspect the problems result from my poor understanding of how the
Bourne shell handles quotes.  Any ideas, please?

Here's the full script:

#! /bin/sh

DAEMON=/usr/sbin/sleepd
NAME=sleepd
DESC="APM sleep daemon"

test -f $DAEMON || exit 0

set -e

# Source defaults file; edit that file to configure this script.
PARAMS=""
if [ -e /etc/default/sleepd ]; then
   . /etc/default/sleepd
fi

case "$1" in
  start)
	# Ensure apm module is loaded.
	test -e /dev/apm_bios && touch /dev/apm_bios

	echo -n "Starting $DESC: "
	start-stop-daemon --start --quiet --pidfile /var/run/$NAME.pid
	\
		--exec $DAEMON -- $PARAMS
		echo "$NAME."
		;;
  stop)
  echo -n "Stopping $DESC: "
  start-stop-daemon --stop --quiet --oknodo --pidfile
	/var/run/$NAME.pid \
			   --exec $DAEMON -- $PARAMS
			   echo "$NAME."
			   ;;
  restart|force-reload)
  echo -n "Restarting $DESC: "
  start-stop-daemon --stop --quiet --oknodo --pidfile \
		    /var/run/$NAME.pid --exec $DAEMON -- $PARAMS
		    sleep 1
		    start-stop-daemon --start --quiet --pidfile \
				      /var/run/$NAME.pid --exec
	$DAEMON -- $PARAMS
	echo "$NAME."
	;;
  *)
  echo "Usage: /etc/init.d/$NAME {start|stop|restart|force-reload}"
	>&2
	exit 1
	;;
esac

exit 0

-- 
Ta
Dan Hatton