Subj : How do I start a process at boot time?
To   : comp.os.linux
From : Arne S. Löfgren
Date : Sun Sep 26 2004 07:57 pm

Hello!

How do I start a process at boot time? I just want to run a Perl-script 
which handles my webcam. I made I command file calles "wcamd" and put it in 
/etc/rc.d/rc.local, but it does not start. This is so simple in Windows, 
just put it in AUTOEXEC.BAT, but how do I do it in Linux (Fedora Core 2)? I 
have set permissions to 755 on both files.

wcamd look like this:
perl /usr/local/bin/wcam.pl

wcam.pl looks like this:
#!/usr/bin/perl -w

use Shell;

capture_wcam();
exit;

use constant LOOP_TIME => 10;  # Capture a picture every 10 seconds
use constant SAVE_LOOP => 360; # Save one per hour

sub capture_wcam
{
  my ($i, $new, $old, $nb);

  $nb = 0;
  for (;;)
  {
    streamer ('-t 2 -r 2 -s 320x240 -o /wcam/wcam00.jpeg');
    print "\nWaiting 10 seconds...\n";
    sleep LOOP_TIME;
    $nb++;
    if ($nb > SAVE_LOOP)
    {
      $nb = 0;
      # Save files
      unlink "/wcam/wcam25.jpeg";
      for ($i = 25; $i > 1; $i--)
      {
        $new = sprintf("%02d", $i);
        $old = sprintf("%02d", $i-1);
        rename "/wcam/wcam$old.jpeg", "/wcam/wcam$new.jpeg";
      }
    }
  }
}

A.L.

.