Question

problems writing a service

Asked by: doubledrat

hi

I'm trying to write a windows service and I am having trouble just writing a log file!

the code I'm using works fine in a normal delphi app, but if I put it in the service code, delphi beeps when I try to start the service and the service won't start.  If I put the code in the service thread procedures, the service starts but doesn't write to the log file.

 

what am I doing wrong?  are there things you just can't do with a service?, or is there a trick I need to know?

what else am I going to have problems doing in a service?!  Is there a resource anywhere I can get more information on tricks to programming services?

 

thanks

Bob

code is

var

  LogFile : textfile;

.
.

   AssignFile(LogFile,'nbidus.log');
   Rewrite(LogFile);                
   writeln(LogFile,'starting up');  

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Asked On
2007-02-11 at 04:29:03ID22158191
Topic

Delphi Programming

Participating Experts
2
Points
250
Comments
3

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Answers

 

by: ciulyPosted on 2007-02-11 at 04:34:42ID: 18509955

the service will by default be started as the local system account/user. also, the working directory is %SYSTEM% (c:\windows\system32\ on most systems). so what you need to do is create a directory for the log file where the local system account has access right to write to.

usually this is done from the program installer: it will install for ex in program files\my app and create a directory named "logs" or whatever you wnat, and add the service user (local system account by default) to that directories ACL with write access.

for youir conveniece, just to see that the service starts up and write to the log file do like this:

   AssignFile(LogFile,IncludeTrailingPathDelimiter(GetEnvironmentVariable('temp'))+'nbidus.log');
   Rewrite(LogFile);                
   writeln(LogFile,'starting up');  

this will put the log file in the %TEMP% directory (from the local system account's environment, not yours).

on my machine I have set the temp variable to c:\temp and everybody has full acces to it. this way I don't get lost in the multiple temp directories from the system :)

 

by: LimbeckPosted on 2007-02-11 at 04:35:05ID: 18509956

look at this tutorial; maybe that will help clarify things

http://finn.mobilixnet.dk/delphi/service/service.htm

good luck
Ed

 

by: doubledratPosted on 2007-02-11 at 08:47:10ID: 18510643

I had assumed that running as local system would give it quite some power, so would never have thought about privs.  thanks ciuly

thanks too Ed for the pointer, I'd found that page already.

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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