Git post-commit hook as a background task

Question

I have a script, that I need to run after committing to a project under git revision control. Therefore I created a post-commit hook in my projects .git directory in the subdirectory /hooks, named it 'post-commit' and gave it the following contents:

#!/bin/sh
# I am a post-commit hook
/usr/local/bin/my_script &

my_script is executable and runs fine in /bin/sh. In fact it has a runtime of several seconds, so I want it to be backgrounded and detached from the current shell. That's why I put the trailing '&' to my hook.

The problem now is, that the '&' seems to be ignored. When I commit using gitx 0.7.1 under OSX Lion, gitx hangs for exactly the period that my_script needs to run.

I tried a lot, but do not get the process itself into the background.

What is wrong here?

score 17 · Accepted Answer · answered Nov 15 '11 at 07:24

17

Here's how it works for me:

#!/bin/sh
# I am a post-commit hook
nohup /usr/local/bin/my_script &>/dev/null &

answered Nov 15 '11 at 07:24

David

186
4

David, meanwhile I found a similar approach: nohup /usr/local/bin/my_script 2>&1 > /dev/null & – GeorgieF Nov 15 '11 at 11:22
Not exactly the correct answer, but will guide some people: consider implementing a real daemon. If in ruby you can use Daemons or read the basics of what you should be doing in this description of how a daemon works in unix: http://daemons.rubyforge.org/Daemons.html – David Pelaez Sep 12 '13 at 03:15

score 4 · Answer 2 · answered Sep 25 '15 at 14:27

4

You could also use the at command. You may have to install it first

echo /path/to/your/executable | at now

OR:

echo bash /path/to/your/script | at now

See the at(1) manual page for more info about at (man at or the online version)

answered Sep 25 '15 at 14:27

Kaiden Prince

472
3
18

score 2 · Answer 3 · answered Oct 27 '11 at 14:25

2

Try to use nohup

#!/bin/sh
# I am a post-commit hook
nohup /usr/local/bin/my_script &

answered Oct 27 '11 at 14:25

0xd

1,891
12
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Hey WagnerVaz, tried that, but unfortunately it does not work. The script seems not to detach from the current process and gitx is stale as long as the script runs. – GeorgieF Oct 27 '11 at 14:51

Andrew Magee · Answer 4 · 2015-05-07T06:14:16.720

1

If you change #!/bin/sh to #!/bin/bash (assuming you're ok with using bash), and use nohup, your example should work.

edited May 07 '15 at 06:14

answered May 07 '15 at 06:05

Andrew Magee

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4
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Git post-commit hook as a background task

4 Answers4

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