RCORDER(8)              FreeBSD System Manager's Manual             RCORDER(8)

NAME
     rcorder - print a dependency ordering of interdependent files

SYNOPSIS
     rcorder [-gp] [-k keep] [-s skip] file ...

DESCRIPTION
     The rcorder utility is designed to print out a dependency ordering of a
     set of interdependent files.  Typically it is used to find an execution
     sequence for a set of shell scripts in which certain files must be
     executed before others.

     Each file passed to rcorder must be annotated with special lines (which
     look like comments to the shell) which indicate the dependencies the
     files have upon certain points in the sequence, known as "conditions",
     and which indicate, for each file, which "conditions" may be expected to
     be filled by that file.

     Within each file, a block containing a series of `REQUIRE', `PROVIDE',
     `BEFORE' and `KEYWORD' lines must appear.  The format of the lines is
     rigid.  Each line must begin with a single `#', followed by a single
     space, followed by `PROVIDE:', `REQUIRE:', `BEFORE:', or `KEYWORD:'.  No
     deviation is permitted.  Each dependency line is then followed by a
     series of conditions, separated by whitespace.  Multiple `PROVIDE',
     `REQUIRE', `BEFORE' and `KEYWORD' lines may appear, but all such lines
     must appear in a sequence without any intervening lines, as once a line
     that does not follow the format is reached, parsing stops.

     The options are as follows:

     -g       Produce a GraphViz (.dot) of the complete dependency graph
              instead of plaintext calling order list.

     -k keep  Add the specified keyword to the "keep list".  If any -k option
              is given, only those files containing the matching keyword are
              listed.  This option can be specified multiple times.

     -p       Generate ordering suitable for parallel startup, placing files
              that can be executed simultaneously on the same line.

     -s skip  Add the specified keyword to the "skip list".  If any -s option
              is given, files containing the matching keyword are not listed.
              This option can be specified multiple times.

     An example block follows:

           # REQUIRE: networking syslog
           # REQUIRE: usr
           # PROVIDE: dns nscd

     This block states that the file in which it appears depends upon the
     `networking', `syslog', and `usr' conditions, and provides the `dns' and
     `nscd' conditions.

     A file may contain zero `PROVIDE' lines, in which case it provides no
     conditions, and may contain zero `REQUIRE' lines, in which case it has no
     dependencies.  There must be at least one file with no dependencies in
     the set of arguments passed to rcorder in order for it to find a starting
     place in the dependency ordering.

KEYWORDS
     There are several KEYWORDs in use:

           firstboot, nojail, nojailvnet, nostart
                     Used by rc(8).

           resume    Used by /etc/rc.resume (see acpiconf(8))

           shutdown  Used by rc.shutdown(8).

EXAMPLES
     Print the dependency ordering of the services from the base system and
     ports(7):

           $ rcorder /etc/rc.d/* /usr/local/etc/rc.d/*

     Count the number of services in the base system, which specify the
     shutdown keyword, while skipping those with firstboot and nojailvnet:

           $ rcorder -k nostart -s firstboot -s nojailvnet /etc/rc.d/*  | wc -l
                  3

DIAGNOSTICS
     The rcorder utility may print one of the following error messages and
     exit with a non-zero status if it encounters an error while processing
     the file list.

     Requirement %s in file %s has no providers.  No file has a `PROVIDE' line
     corresponding to a condition present in a `REQUIRE' line in another file.

     Circular dependency on provision %s in file %s.  A set of files has a
     circular dependency which was detected while processing the stated
     condition.  Loop visualization follows this message.

     Circular dependency on file %s.  A set of files has a circular dependency
     which was detected while processing the stated file.

     %s was seen in circular dependencies for %d times.  Each node that was a
     part of circular dependency loops reports total number of such
     encounters.  Start with files having biggest counter when fighting with
     broken dependencies.

DIAGNOSTICS WITH GRAPHVIZ
     Direct dependency is drawn with solid line, `BEFORE' dependency is drawn
     as a dashed line.  Each node of a graph represents an item from `PROVIDE'
     lines.  In case there are more than one file providing an item, a list of
     filenames shortened with basename(3) is shown.  Shortened filenames are
     also shown in case `PROVIDE' item does not match file name.

     Edges and nodes where circular dependencies were detected are drawn bold
     red.  If a file has an item in `REQUIRE' or in `BEFORE' that could not be
     provided, this missing provider and the requirement will be drawn bold
     red as well.

SEE ALSO
     acpiconf(8), rc(8), rc.shutdown(8), service(8)

HISTORY
     The rcorder utility appeared in NetBSD 1.5.  rcorder utility first
     appeared in FreeBSD 5.0.

AUTHORS
     Written by Perry E. Metzger <perry@piermont.com> and Matthew R. Green
     <mrg@eterna.com.au>.

BUGS
     The `REQUIRE' keyword is misleading: It does not describe which daemons
     have to be running before a script will be started.  It describes which
     scripts must be placed before it in the dependency ordering.  For
     example, if your script has a `REQUIRE' on `sshd', it means the script
     must be placed after the `sshd' script in the dependency ordering, not
     necessarily that it requires sshd to be started or enabled.

FreeBSD 13.1-RELEASE-p6        September 8, 2020       FreeBSD 13.1-RELEASE-p6