systemctl doesn't recognize my service: Default-Start contains no runlevels, aborting

Question

I want to define a simple service to be started at boot, being on Ubuntu server 16.10. So I have created a /etc/init.d/mydaemon

I somehow messed up between upstart and systemd: at first I thought I had to setup an upstart service. So after converting my file to an upstart syntax, I ran update-rc.d mydaemon defaults.

I figured out my error and ran update-rc.d mydaemon remove, converted to systemd syntax, and ran systemctl enable mydaemon, but get the error:

mydaemon.service is not a native service, redirecting to systemd-sysv-install.
Executing: /lib/systemd/systemd-sysv-install enable mydaemon
update-rc.d: error: mydaemonDefault-Start contains no runlevels, aborting.

score 26 · Answer 1 · answered Feb 14 '18 at 11:31

26

I had the same error when porting a sysv script from a redhat box to ubuntu. I needed to add some headers to the script

### BEGIN INIT INFO
# Provides:          my-service-name
# Required-Start:    $all
# Required-Stop:
# Default-Start:     2 3 4 5
# Default-Stop:
# Short-Description: your description here
### END INIT INFO

found in https://askubuntu.com/questions/909523/default-start-contains-no-runlevels-aborting

answered Feb 14 '18 at 11:31

nick fox

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see also https://wiki.debian.org/LSBInitScripts – nick fox Feb 14 '18 at 11:31
1

My script already have this reader but still showing the exactly same error.. =[ – Luciano Andress Martini Apr 23 '18 at 12:00

score 14 · Accepted Answer · answered May 11 '17 at 13:27

14

The problem was the location of the file, on Ubuntu server it expects it in /etc/systemd/system, /etc/init.d/ is for legacy files.

answered May 11 '17 at 13:27

CharlesB

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this solution fixed my service – AmirHossein Rezaei Aug 18 '19 at 08:42
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I think this solution does not work if the init script is a bash script. Instead of copying the file, parameters on the run levels must be added as comments as nick fox posted in their answer. – LaTechneuse Mar 03 '20 at 10:23
Sure, the initial question is on a `.service` file, not a bash init script. – CharlesB Mar 09 '20 at 09:21

score 9 · Answer 3 · answered Sep 06 '17 at 09:45

9

Just to add on to the answer from @CharlesB - when I got into this state I was able to simply move the file from /etc/init.d/ to /etc/systemd/system/ and rerun the command and it worked properly:

sudo mv /etc/init.d/mydaemon /etc/systemd/system/
sudo systemctl enable mydaemon

answered Sep 06 '17 at 09:45

Cory

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This should be a comment. – Gerald Schneider Sep 06 '17 at 10:11
I think it's an easier to follow answer, so made it one. – Cory Sep 06 '17 at 11:32

score 1 · Answer 4 · answered Jul 26 '19 at 15:55

I had the same error and I fixed it putting the default start information, as follow:

vi /etc/init.d/greenbone-security-assistant

Change from:

# Default-Start:

to:

# Default-Start: 2 3 4 5

:wq

root@kali:/etc/init.d# systemctl enable greenbone-security-assistant

Synchronizing state of greenbone-security-assistant.service with SysV service script with /lib/systemd/systemd-sysv-install.

Executing: /lib/systemd/systemd-sysv-install enable greenbone-security-assistant

systemctl doesn't recognize my service: Default-Start contains no runlevels, aborting

4 Answers4