163 lines
5.1 KiB
Markdown
163 lines
5.1 KiB
Markdown
# 9router Start on Boot (without systemd)
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Make **9router** (AI router & token saver) auto-start as a **non-root user (`ardhi`)**
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when the server boots — using a `@reboot` cron job instead of a systemd unit.
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> Proven working on Ubuntu 26.04 (systemd) after a real reboot.
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---
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## Why not systemd / plain `9router`?
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- Running `9router` **without** `-t` crashes on a headless server (it waits for an
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interactive TTY menu that doesn't exist → crash-loop with `EADDRINUSE`).
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- A plain `@reboot` cron calling `9router -t ...` directly fails because:
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1. cron runs the job as the **cron user**, not root — so `runuser` inside is rejected
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(`runuser: may not be used by non-root users`).
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2. The log file gets created as **root**, so the `ardhi` process can't write to it
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(`cannot create /home/ardhi/9router.log: Permission denied`).
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3. The process is killed when cron's boot session tears down
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(`Session terminated, killing shell... killed.`).
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This project solves all three with a tiny **wrapper script** + an **adaptive crontab**.
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---
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## Optional: local watchdog (auto-restart if it dies)
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`@reboot` starts the service at boot but does **not** restart it if the parent
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`-t` process later dies. Add a local watchdog that probes the API every minute
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and restarts 9router if it isn't healthy.
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`9router-watchdog.sh` checks `http://127.0.0.1:20128/v1/models` — if it does **not**
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return HTTP 200, it calls `start-9router.sh` again. Run it from root's crontab:
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```bash
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# root crontab — every minute
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* * * * * /usr/local/bin/9router-watchdog.sh
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```
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Or just run `sudo ./install.sh` (it registers both the `@reboot` job and the
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per-minute watchdog for you).
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Notes:
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- The check is a real HTTP 200 probe (not just "is the port open"), so a hung
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Next.js process that still holds the port will also be detected and restarted.
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- Max recovery delay is ~1 minute (the cron interval).
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- The watchdog runs **locally** on the same machine — no external monitoring infra needed.
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---
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## Files
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| File | Purpose |
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|------|---------|
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| `start-9router.sh` | Detached launcher. Drops to `ardhi` if run as root, runs directly if already `ardhi`. Uses absolute paths (cron `@reboot` has a minimal `PATH`). |
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| `9router-watchdog.sh` | Local health monitor. Probes `/v1/models`; restarts via the wrapper if not HTTP 200. |
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| `install.sh` | One-shot setup: installs both scripts, fixes log ownership, and registers the `@reboot` cron + per-minute watchdog as **root**. |
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| `README.md` | This file. |
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---
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## Step-by-step (manual)
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### 1. Install the wrapper
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```bash
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sudo cp start-9router.sh /usr/local/bin/start-9router.sh
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sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/start-9router.sh
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```
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### 2. Fix log-file ownership (so `ardhi` can write)
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```bash
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sudo touch /home/ardhi/9router.log
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sudo chown ardhi:ardhi /home/ardhi/9router.log
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sudo chmod 644 /home/ardhi/9router.log
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```
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### 3. Register the `@reboot` cron as ROOT
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> Must be **root's** crontab, because the wrapper uses `runuser` to drop privileges.
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```bash
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sudo crontab -l 2>/dev/null; echo "@reboot /usr/local/bin/start-9router.sh" | sudo crontab -
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```
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Verify:
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```bash
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sudo crontab -l
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# -> @reboot /usr/local/bin/start-9router.sh
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```
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### 4. Make sure the cron daemon is running
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```bash
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sudo systemctl enable cron
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sudo systemctl start cron
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systemctl is-active cron # -> active
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```
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### 5. Disable the (broken) systemd unit if it exists
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```bash
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sudo systemctl disable 9router 2>/dev/null || true
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```
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### 6. Reboot and verify
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```bash
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sudo reboot
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```
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After the server is back:
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```bash
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# port should be LISTEN
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ss -ltnp | grep 20128
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# process should run as ardhi
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ps -eo pid,user,args | grep -E '9router -t|next-server' | grep -v grep
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# live check
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curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}\n" http://127.0.0.1:20128/v1/models # -> 200
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```
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Dashboard: **http://127.0.0.1:20128/dashboard**
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API endpoint for CLI tools: **http://127.0.0.1:20128/v1**
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---
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## Or just run the installer
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```bash
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sudo ./install.sh
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```
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Then reboot.
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---
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## How the wrapper works
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```sh
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if [ "$(id -u)" = "0" ]; then
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# root (e.g. root's @reboot cron) -> drop to ardhi
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setsid runuser -u ardhi -- sh -c "exec '9router' -t -n --host 127.0.0.1 --port 20128 >> LOG 2>&1 < /dev/null" &
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else
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# already ardhi -> run directly
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setsid 9router -t -n --host 127.0.0.1 --port 20128 >> LOG 2>&1 < /dev/null &
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fi
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```
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- `setsid` + `< /dev/null` → detaches the process from cron's session so it survives
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the boot-session teardown.
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- Absolute paths (`/usr/bin/setsid`, `/usr/sbin/runuser`, `/usr/local/bin/9router`) →
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required because cron `@reboot` runs with a minimal `PATH`.
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- The redirect happens **inside** `runuser`, so `ardhi` (not root) owns the log file.
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---
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## Notes / caveats
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- `@reboot` cron starts the service at boot but does **not** auto-restart it if the
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parent `-t` process dies. For extra safety you could add a per-minute watchdog cron
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that checks the port and re-launches the wrapper if needed.
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- Change the user (`ardhi`), port (`20128`), or bind host (`127.0.0.1`) by editing the
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wrapper directly.
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- This setup was validated on the `9router@0.5.50` standalone build, which crashes when
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launched without `-t` on a headless machine.
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---
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## License
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MIT — use freely.
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