Need help for a Linux script file to run on startup.

**p38arover** · 29th April 2018, 09:33 AM

I'm replacing an old Windows 2000 laptop with 196kB of memory with a laptop running Linux. (Win 2000 will run happily in 196kB of memory - the max this laptop can run.)

It monitors electricity consumption using a CurrentCost EnviR and uploads the data to PVOutput.org

At the moment, using Terminal, I run these commands:

minicom -D /dev/ttyUSB0 -b 57600 (sets USB port 0 to 57600 bps for the EnviR serial data)
cd /pvoutput-install/bin
chmod 755 pvoutput.sh (sets pvoutput.sh permissions to executable)
./pvoutput.sh (runs the script file)

I tried adding them to the rc.local file but I'm not sure that's correct or even if it's working. If I subsequently try the minicom command, I get told the port is locked.

This is what I have in the rc.local file:

#!/bin/sh -e
#
# rc.local
minicom -D /dev/ttyUSB0 -b 57600
cd /pvoutput-install/bin
chmod 755 pvoutput.sh
./pvoutput.sh
exit 0

If I can't work this out, I'll go back to Windows. The learning curve on Linux is quite steep. What's easy to do in Windows can be a pain in Linux. The reason I haven't gone back is that the laptop, currently loaded with Linux, is simply too slow** when Win XP SP3 is installed - also I'd like to minimise the vulnerability of my network by not running no longer supported versions of Windows.

** Too slow = up to 30 seconds to recognise a mouse click. And it crashes regularly. The laptop originally came with Win XP SP1 and cost me over $2K when I bought it new! It was quick back then.

I hate throwing usable stuff out. This laptop will have no other duty other than to monitor power consumption.

**DrewXT** · 29th April 2018, 09:42 AM

Originally Posted by p38arover

I'm replacing an old Windows 2000 laptop with 196kB of memory with a laptop running Linux. (Win 2000 will run happily in 196kB of memory - the max this laptop can run.)

It monitors electricity consumption using a CurrentCost EnviR and uploads the data to PVOutput.org

At the moment, using Terminal, I run these commands:

minicom -D /dev/ttyUSB0 -b 57600 (sets USB port 0 to 57600 bps for the EnviR serial data)
cd /pvoutput-install/bin
chmod 755 pvoutput.sh (sets pvoutput.sh permissions to executable)
./pvoutput.sh (runs the script file)

I tried adding them to the rc.local file but I'm not sure that's correct or even if it's working. If I subsequently try the minicom command, I get told the port is locked.

This is what I have in the rc.local file:

#!/bin/sh -e
#
# rc.local
minicom -D /dev/ttyUSB0 -b 57600
cd /pvoutput-install/bin
chmod 755 pvoutput.sh
./pvoutput.sh
exit 0

If I can't work this out, I'll go back to Windows. The learning curve on Linux is quite steep. What's easy to do in Windows can be a pain in Linux. The reason I haven't gone back is that the laptop, currently loaded with Linux, is simply too slow** when Win XP SP3 is installed - also I'd like to minimise the vulnerability of my network by not running no longer supported versions of Windows.

** Too slow = up to 30 seconds to recognise a mouse click. And it crashes regularly. The laptop originally came with Win XP SP1 and cost me over $2K when I bought it new! It was quick back then.

I hate throwing usable stuff out. This laptop will have no other duty other than to monitor power consumption.

You need to add the script to Cron.

Crontab -e

Have a look at the man page for the syntax

**p38arover** · 29th April 2018, 09:52 AM

Thanks for the reply.

I thought cron was a scheduler. I won't be rebooting the laptop every day - only if it crashes.

**incisor** · 29th April 2018, 06:31 PM

Inittab script would be better

**p38arover** · 29th April 2018, 08:23 PM

Originally Posted by incisor

Inittab script would be better

It looks like Ubuntu doesn't use inittab but "upstart" instead.

I'm getting closer to going back to Windows.

**VladTepes** · 30th April 2018, 08:59 AM

Hey Ron I just read your OP and for clarity's sake it would be awesome if in future you could use English.

**incisor** · 30th April 2018, 02:22 PM

Originally Posted by p38arover

It looks like Ubuntu doesn't use inittab but "upstart" instead.

I'm getting closer to going back to Windows.

Whatever it’s name, it will be a text file config file or files you can add your script to and that will control when your script will be run during startup

**DrewXT** · 30th April 2018, 10:40 PM

Does the script have its own polling process, or does it need calling every x minutes?

**incisor** · 1st May 2018, 07:38 AM

read this Ron?

Getting Started - upstart

**p38arover** · 1st May 2018, 08:56 PM

Originally Posted by DrewXT

Does the script have its own polling process, or does it need calling every x minutes?

The script polls the data every 5 minutes.

Originally Posted by incisor

read this Ron?

Getting Started - upstart

OK, thanks Dave.

One other problem is I need to set the serial port baud rate which I am doing with:

minicom -D /dev/ttyUSB0 -b 57600

But minicom doesn't exit after setting the baud rate. If I run that command in Terminal, minicom doesn't return to the prompt:

ron@Presario-X1400-PH511PA-ABG:~$

Hmm, I've just found an Application AutoStart menu. I'll look into that.

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