Announcement

**zwolfpack** · September 12, 2021, 04:21 PM

Please post contents of your systemd unit file, i.e. /etc/systemd/system/homeseer.service

Not clear on what you mean in your 'By the way ... ' can you provide more details of what you are doing and what is the result?

**avpman** · September 12, 2021, 05:26 PM

Another user here with the same problem. Here is my homeseer.service file contents:

[Unit]
Description=HomeSeer HS4 Home Automation Server
After=network.target

[Service]
WorkingDirectory=/usr/local/HomeSeer
ExecStart=/usr/bin/mono /usr/local/HomeSeer/HSConsole.exe --log
ExecStop=/usr/local/HomeSeer/stop_homeseer.sh
Restart=on-failure
TimeoutStopSec=90

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

**zwolfpack** · September 12, 2021, 11:57 PM

I cloned my test HS4-Linux (on rpi4) system so I could run some tests. I was successful in updating from 4.2.0.0 to beta 4.2.0.5, and back again. Ran the cycle three times to be sure.

I then substituted in @avpman's unit file, and things went sideways fast. After some thought it came back that, under systemd, default behavior is as soon as the main process terminates, systemd immediately clobbers all child processes. So when the HSConsole process ends, the update.sh script gets clobbered before it can do it's thing. There are some additional directives needed in the unit file to make this work as we want.

Below is my unit file (homeseer.service), with "/usr/local/HomeSeer" as the HS root. After editing files in /etc/systemd/system, you want to run

Code:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload

to prevent systemd from bellyaching about changed unit files.

Code:

[Unit]
Description=HomeSeer Home Automation
Documentation=https://homeseer.com/support-home/
After=network-online.target remote-fs.target time-sync.target
Before=multi-user.target

[Service]
WorkingDirectory=/usr/local/HomeSeer
ExecStart=/usr/bin/mono HSConsole.exe --log
SyslogIdentifier=HSConsole
StandardOutput=null
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=30
KillMode=none
TimeoutStopSec=300
ExecStop=/usr/local/HomeSeer/hsstop.sh

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Here is the hsstop.sh, which lives in the HS root. Presume this is similar to @avpman's "stop_homeseer.sh". Remember to make this executable.

Code:

#!/bin/bash
# hsstop.sh - stop the HS application
# supports: systemd service shutdown

# import login credentials used to login to web server
# these are ignored if password not required
inifile=$(dirname $0)/Config/$(basename $0 .sh).ini
login=
test -r $inifile && . $inifile

# extract web server port from settings.ini
hsroot=$(dirname $0)  # where this script lives
webport=$(awk -F= '\
{
    gsub("\015", "") # remove CR character
    if ($1 == "gWebSvrPort") print $2
}
' $hsroot/Config/settings.ini)

# send application shutdown command
for i in $(seq 1 5)
do
    curl -f -s -o /dev/null ${login:+-u} $login --data 'ConfirmShutdownhs=Yes' "http://localhost:$webport/LinuxTools"
    rc=$?
    test $rc -eq 0 && break
    curl -f -s -o /dev/null ${login:+-u} $login --data 'action=shutdown_hs' "http://localhost:$webport/system.html"
    rc=$?
    test $rc -eq 0 && break
    sleep 2
done

killmain()
{
    test -n "$MAINPID" && kill -0 $MAINPID && kill $MAINPID
}

trap killmain EXIT

# if curl cmd unsuccessful, terminate main process
test $rc -ne 0 && killmain

# wait until all HomeSeer mono processes terminate, with timeout
maxwait=300
polltime=5
mono=$(which mono) || exit
for (( t=0; t<$maxwait; t+=$polltime ))
do
    pgrep -afi $mono.'*'\(HSConsole\|HSPI_\) || break
    sleep $polltime
done

**John245** · September 13, 2021, 12:59 AM

Originally posted by zwolfpack View Post

Please post contents of your systemd unit file, i.e. /etc/systemd/system/homeseer.service

Not clear on what you mean in your 'By the way ... ' can you provide more details of what you are doing and what is the result?

This is my file, looks the same as avp.

---
John

**zwolfpack** · September 13, 2021, 01:53 AM

Originally posted by John245 View Post

This is my file, looks the same as avp.

Did you see my subsequent post? This unit file is the source of your issue.

**John245** · September 13, 2021, 02:21 AM

Originally posted by zwolfpack View Post

Did you see my subsequent post? This unit file is the source of your issue.

I changed my homeseer.service file to

and did put the hsstop file in the root. No success.

---
John

**zwolfpack** · September 13, 2021, 02:23 AM

Did you restart the service?

PS. you missed changing the path on the ExecStop directive.

**John245** · September 13, 2021, 02:49 AM

Originally posted by zwolfpack View Post

Did you restart the service?

PS. you missed changing the path on the ExecStop directive.

Corrected. Did even a reboot. No success

---
John

**zwolfpack** · September 13, 2021, 03:04 AM

Ok, looks like we'll need to dig deeper. First of all, what OS are you running on?

Code:

more /etc/os-release

Next, paste this line in a command window and let it run. It will output a list of the running mono processes once every five seconds. As written it will run 200 times (about 17 minutes); change the 200 near the end to run longer.

Code:

seq -f "echo pass %g; pgrep -af mono; sleep 5" 1 200 | sh

On my system this shows

Code:

pass 1
822 /usr/bin/mono HSConsole.exe --log
893 /usr/bin/mono /opt/HomeSeer/HSPI_Sonos.exe
905 /usr/bin/mono /opt/HomeSeer/HSPI_SDJHealth.exe
921 /usr/bin/mono /opt/HomeSeer/HSPI_ZWave.exe
945 /usr/bin/mono /opt/HomeSeer/HSPI_ZWaveGui.exe
954 /usr/bin/mono /opt/HomeSeer/HSPI_BLLAN.exe
pass 2
822 /usr/bin/mono HSConsole.exe --log
893 /usr/bin/mono /opt/HomeSeer/HSPI_Sonos.exe
905 /usr/bin/mono /opt/HomeSeer/HSPI_SDJHealth.exe
921 /usr/bin/mono /opt/HomeSeer/HSPI_ZWave.exe
945 /usr/bin/mono /opt/HomeSeer/HSPI_ZWaveGui.exe
954 /usr/bin/mono /opt/HomeSeer/HSPI_BLLAN.exe

One line for the HSConsole, one for each running plugin. The number on the left is the process id.

With this running, try the update and see if the output changes.

**John245** · September 13, 2021, 03:21 AM

Originally posted by zwolfpack View Post

Ok, looks like we'll need to dig deeper. First of all, what OS are you running on?

Code:

more /etc/os-release

Next, paste this line in a command window and let it run. It will output a list of the running mono processes once every five seconds. As written it will run 200 times (about 17 minutes); change the 200 near the end to run longer.

Code:

seq -f "echo pass %g; pgrep -af mono; sleep 5" 1 200 | sh

On my system this shows

Code:

pass 1
822 /usr/bin/mono HSConsole.exe --log
893 /usr/bin/mono /opt/HomeSeer/HSPI_Sonos.exe
905 /usr/bin/mono /opt/HomeSeer/HSPI_SDJHealth.exe
921 /usr/bin/mono /opt/HomeSeer/HSPI_ZWave.exe
945 /usr/bin/mono /opt/HomeSeer/HSPI_ZWaveGui.exe
954 /usr/bin/mono /opt/HomeSeer/HSPI_BLLAN.exe
pass 2
822 /usr/bin/mono HSConsole.exe --log
893 /usr/bin/mono /opt/HomeSeer/HSPI_Sonos.exe
905 /usr/bin/mono /opt/HomeSeer/HSPI_SDJHealth.exe
921 /usr/bin/mono /opt/HomeSeer/HSPI_ZWave.exe
945 /usr/bin/mono /opt/HomeSeer/HSPI_ZWaveGui.exe
954 /usr/bin/mono /opt/HomeSeer/HSPI_BLLAN.exe

One line for the HSConsole, one for each running plugin. The number on the left is the process id.

With this running, try the update and see if the output changes.

OS:
NAME="Ubuntu"
VERSION="20.04.3 LTS (Focal Fossa)"
ID=ubuntu
ID_LIKE=debian
PRETTY_NAME="Ubuntu 20.04.3 LTS"
VERSION_ID="20.04"
HOME_URL="https://www.ubuntu.com/"
SUPPORT_URL="https://help.ubuntu.com/"
BUG_REPORT_URL="https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/"
PRIVACY_POLICY_URL="https://www.ubuntu.com/legal/terms-and-policies/privacy-poli
cy"
VERSION_CODENAME=focal
UBUNTU_CODENAME=focal

Running processes:
pass 66
644 /usr/bin/mono /home/dunnenj/HomeSeer/HSConsole.exe --log
727 /usr/bin/mono /usr/lib/mono/4.5/xsp4.exe --port 8084 --address 0.0.0.0 --appconfigdir /etc/xsp4 --nonstop
1194 /usr/bin/mono /home/dunnenj/HomeSeer/HSPI_EasyTrigger.exe
1211 /usr/bin/mono /home/dunnenj/HomeSeer/HSPI_Chromecast.exe
1226 /usr/bin/mono /home/dunnenj/HomeSeer/HSPI_SKWARE_DEVICE_HISTORY.exe
1267 /usr/bin/mono /home/dunnenj/HomeSeer/HSPI_ZWave.exe
1302 /usr/bin/mono /home/dunnenj/HomeSeer/HSPI_ZWaveGui.exe
1332 /usr/bin/mono /home/dunnenj/HomeSeer/HSPI_ULTRANETATMO3.exe
1347 /usr/bin/mono /home/dunnenj/HomeSeer/HSPI_Unifi.exe
1368 /usr/bin/mono /home/dunnenj/HomeSeer/HSPI_Worx.exe
1385 /usr/bin/mono /home/dunnenj/HomeSeer/HSPI_Tuya.exe
1404 /usr/bin/mono /home/dunnenj/HomeSeer/HSPI_SmartThings.exe
1414 /usr/bin/mono /home/dunnenj/HomeSeer/HSPI_SmartMeter.exe
1444 /usr/bin/mono /home/dunnenj/HomeSeer/HSPI_BLPlex.exe

I see no changes before during or after the update. The big difference compared with your output is in red.

---
John

**SteveW** · September 13, 2021, 03:24 AM

zwolfpack, excellent information! Thanks.

rjh, to your questions in another thread: personally, since I run HS4 on a dedicated RPi 4, I don't care how the software is started; as a task or as a service, and I don't mind having the upgrade procedure reboot the system. Of course, others will have different needs and preferences.

IMO, one long-time issue with HS for Linux is that the installation procedure is not thoroughly documented, and it assumes some specific Linux concepts and commands that may be ambiguous or unclear to non Linux experts. Going back to 2019 or earlier, there are various long threads with various posters adding their own sets of commands, and some have typos, are incomplete, or are unclear. To the poster (you know who you are) who may reply with the typical Linux arrogance that if you don't know what you are doing, then don't use Linux (or "RTFM"), that's unhelpful. Linux is for everyone, and helping users learn is part of the fun of it.

**zwolfpack** · September 13, 2021, 03:38 AM

The item in red is due to having installed mono via 'mono-complete' rather than 'mono-devel'. (mono-devel is what is directed in the HS install documentation).

In previous versions of the update.sh this would cause an issue. However recently HS took a suggestion from me and made a change which should ignore this.

In your HS root, please verify that update.sh looks like this:

Code:

#!/bin/bash
# first make sure HS is shut down
while pgrep -af mono.'*'\(HSConsole\)
do
    sleep 5
done

# extract the update files and reboot
echo extracting $1
tar xvf $1
rm $1
echo "Update complete"
reboot

xsp4.exe is a documentation server which has no use in this application. You can safely remove it via

Code:

sudo apt remove mono-xsp --auto-remove

This begs the question though, as to why HomeSeer continues to run once the update is commanded. Can you check if the process id of the HSConsole process stays constant?

**John245** · September 13, 2021, 03:59 AM

Originally posted by zwolfpack View Post

The item in red is due to having installed mono via 'mono-complete' rather than 'mono-devel'. (mono-devel is what is directed in the HS install documentation).

In previous versions of the update.sh this would cause an issue. However recently HS took a suggestion from me and made a change which should ignore this.

In your HS root, please verify that update.sh looks like this:

Code:

#!/bin/bash
# first make sure HS is shut down
while pgrep -af mono.'*'\(HSConsole\)
do
sleep 5
done

# extract the update files and reboot
echo extracting $1
tar xvf $1
rm $1
echo "Update complete"
reboot

xsp4.exe is a documentation server which has no use in this application. You can safely remove it via

Code:

sudo apt remove mono-xsp --auto-remove

This begs the question though, as to why HomeSeer continues to run once the update is commanded. Can you check if the process id of the HSConsole process stays constant?

I found the issue. Although I followed all directions the homeseer.service file did not change in Webmin. I deleted it from Webmin and did set-up a new service. This solved the issue.

Thanks for all the help, much appreciated.

This should be part of HomeSeer's standard instruction on how to install Linux.

---
John

**zwolfpack** · September 13, 2021, 04:11 AM

Originally posted by John245 View Post

I found the issue.
...
---
John

Awesome! I'll sleep better now - it's getting late here

Announcement

HS will not upgrade after the application was started as a service

HS will not upgrade after the application was started as a service

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