fai-monitor(8)

📦
version 6.6ubuntu1 · 2 versions
, in debian bookworm, debian trixie, ubuntu noble, ubuntu resolute, ubuntu stonking

💖 fai-monitor(8) — the fai monitor daemon 💖

okay bestie, sit DOWN, because we're talking about fai-monitor, from the System Manager's Manual section (section 8, admin girlies only 💅). this is the little daemon that sits there and listens to literally every install client you've got, and then spills all the tea to your terminal. it's giving switchboard operator energy. it's giving "i hear everything, i say everything." iconic.

✨ NAME ✨

fai-monitor — the fai monitor daemon 🫶

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

fai-monitor

no args, no drama. she just runs. periodt.

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

so here's the vibe: fai-monitor receives messages from all install clients on port 4711 and prints them to stdout. that's it. that's the whole job. and she ATE. 🔥

👑 OPTIONS 👑

every single one, no skips, bestie. let's go.

  • -p port — tells her which port to listen on, bestie. default is port 4711. don't change it unless you have a reason, iykyk.
  • -b — calls fai-chboot for the install client if the task install was finished properly. default is not to call fai-chboot. so by default, no chboot-ing. noted. 📝
  • -i — use the IP address of the connecting host when calling fai-chboot. ⚠️ this can only be used if the host has the same IP while installing as when running. no same-IP, no dice.
  • -l FILE — the logfile, queen. default is standard out in non-daemon mode, and "/var/log/fai-monitor.log" in daemon mode. she keeps receipts. 💅
  • -t TIMEOUT — timeout for bad clients. set it to 0 to disable. bye bad clients ✌️
  • -d — daemon mode. she goes in the background and just… exists. main character energy tbh. 🧚
  • -P FILE — the PID-file. default is "/var/run/fai-monitor.pid". this is used only if starting in daemon mode. so don't come for her about it in non-daemon mode, she's not listening. 🙈
  • -T — print timestamps in the log. time-stamped receipts, we love to see it. ⏰
  • -f FORMAT — use strftime(FORMAT) for timestamp formatting. so you get to pick your own timestamp lewk. ✨
  • -Z — use gmtime/UTC instead of local time. UTC girlies rise UP. 🌈

💀 NOTES 💀

okay so normally? the output gets piped to fai-monitor-gui, which is a GUI that displays all the information. so it's not just terminal chaos, it's terminal chaos with a face. 😭

also — and this is the good part — fai-monitor reads variables from /var/log/fai/variables (that's the key=value pair format, bestie), and she replies to requests from clients if they have this format:

VARIABLE <VARNAME>

for e.g. — and i literally mean for e.g., this is the actual example — if the client sends "VARIABLE FAI_VERSION", fai-monitor will reply with OK and the value of this variable (e.g. "OK 4.5.6") if this variable is defined. otherwise? she replies with UNKNOWN and repeats the VARNAME (e.g. "UNKNOWN FAI_VERSION"). so it's like a vibe check but for variables. 🍓

🌟 SEE ALSO 🌟

this program is part of FAI (Fully Automatic Installation). 🎀 see the FAI manual for more information on how to use fai-monitor. the FAI homepage is https://fai-project.org. go read it, bestie, it's giving documentation.

🫶 AUTHOR 🫶

Thomas Lange <lange@cs.uni-koeln.de> — the legend, the moment, the whole entire author. 💜

okay that's the whole page!! this beauty shipped as part of FAI 5, back in September 2015, and it's still serving. slay, honestly. go monitor something, bestie 💖✨🎀

📦 where this page comes from