Run a Java Application as a linux service

I needed to run a Java program as a service on a server running RHEL. I used the script below to get it working. I got direction from

1. http://stackoverflow.com/questions/11203483/run-a-java-application-as-a-service-on-linux

2. http://www.apexninjas.com/blog/2011/02/start-java-program-as-linux-daemon/ and

3. http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Packaging:SysVInitScript#Initscript_template

The third link provides a detailed explanation on init scripts; I recommend that, at the very least, you skim through it. I needed a cleaner implementation than link 1 and a less verbose implementation than link 2. This is what I eventually used:

#!/bin/sh
#
# myprogram Startup script for my Java program
#
# chkconfig: <startlevellist> <startpriority> <endpriority> e.g. chkconfig: 2345 85 15 Explained #http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Packaging:SysVInitScript#.23_chkconfig:_line. Run levels are here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runlevel
#
# description: My Java program that......\
#				mows the Linux lawn

### BEGIN INIT INFO
# Provides:
# Required-Start:
# Required-Stop:
# Should-Start:
# Should-Stop:
# Default-Start:
# Default-Stop:
# Short-Description: Start and Stop my java program
# Description: 	My Java program does this and that
### END INIT INFO

# Source function library.
. /etc/rc.d/init.d/functions

exec=/path/to/the/jarfile.jar
prog=myprogram
#config="<path to your config file>" #Add a config file if you need one. Usually put in /etc/
pidfile=${PIDFILE-/var/run/myprogram.pid}
logfile=/var/log/myprogram/myprogram.log
errorlog=/var/log/myprogram/error.log	

[ -e /etc/sysconfig/$prog ] && . /etc/sysconfig/$prog

lockfile=${LOCKFILE-/var/lock/subsys/$prog}

start() {
    #[ -f $config ] || exit 6 #No config for now. You can add it here & uncomment
    #The check for if the service is already running is done prior to this in rh_status_q()
     echo -n $"Starting $prog: "
    # Start the service
	nohup java -jar $exec >>$logfile 2>>$errorlog & echo $! >$pidfile
    retval=$?
    echo
    [ $retval -eq 0 ] && touch $lockfile
    return $retval
}

stop() {
    echo -n $"Stopping $prog: "
    # stop it here 
	kill $(<$pidfile)
	rm -f $pidfile
    retval=$?
    echo
    [ $retval -eq 0 ] && rm -f $lockfile
    return $retval
}

restart() {
    stop
    start
}

reload() {
    restart
}

force_reload() {
    restart
}

rh_status() {
    # run checks to determine if the service is running or use generic status
    if [  -f $pidfile ]
    then
	if [  -e /proc/$(<$pidfile) ]
	then
		echo -ne "$prog (pid $(<$pidfile)) is running...\n"
	fi
    else
	echo -ne "$prog is stopped\n"
    fi
}

rh_status_q() {
    rh_status >/dev/null 2>&1
}

case "$1" in
    start)
        rh_status_q || exit 0
        $1
        ;;
    stop)
        rh_status_q || exit 0
        $1
        ;;
    restart)
        $1
        ;;
    reload)
        rh_status_q || exit 7
        $1
        ;;
    force-reload)
        force_reload
        ;;
    status)
        rh_status
        ;;
    condrestart|try-restart)
        rh_status_q || exit 0
        restart
        ;;
    *)
        echo $"Usage: $0 {start|stop|status|restart|condrestart|try-restart|reload|force-reload}"
        exit 2
esac
exit $?

Place the script here: /etc/init.d/

Also, mkdir /var/log/myprogram

Now to start your service:

service myprogram start

To stop it:

service myprogram stop

To check status:

service myprogram status

Look through other init scripts in /etc/init.d/ for other ways to do this