14. Miscellaneous

14.1. The .layerapi2_dependencies file

When you create a plugin with the bootstap_plugin command, a .layerapi2_dependencies file is created in the plugin root directory. This file contains the module/package dependencies you need for the plugin.

By default, the .layerapi2_dependencies file contains only minimal dependencies, e.g.:

python3@mfbase

means the plugin will use Python3 from the python3 package supplied in MFBASE.

For more details on layerapi2, check MFEXT layerapi2 and MFEXT layerapi2 syntax documentation.

14.2. The .layerapi2_extra_env file

The .layerapi2_extra_env file allows you to defined environment variable only in the plugin context. Check layerapi2 MFEXT documentation.

By default, this .layerapi2_extra_env doesn’t exist. If you need to add extra environment variables, create this file in the plugin root directory.

See also

MFEXT layerapi2 syntax documentation.

14.3. The outside Metwork command

The outside is a command utility that allow you execute commands outside the Metwork environment.

For instance, let’s assume the Python version of Metwork is 3.5.6 and the Python version installed on your system is Python 2.7.5.

For instance:

  • Entering the command from the Metwork environment:

python --version

Output:

Python 3.5.6

  • Entering the command from the Metwork environment:

outside python --version

Output:

Python 2.7.5

14.4. The crontab support

Each plugin has a crontab support to schedule the execution of programs.

In order to enable your plugin crontab, just create a crontab file in the root directory of the plugin and set the tasks you want to schedule. For further details about crontab, check the Linux documentation (man crontab command or http://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man5/crontab.5.html)

In order to (re)load the contab file:

  • If the crontab file does not exist and you create it, you have to restart MFBASE by entering mfbase.stop then mfbase.start commands (or reinstall the plugin)

  • If the crontab file exists and you just change its content, you have just to wait a few seconds for the changes to be automatically taken into account.

Tip

  • you may use environment variable in your command surrounded with {{ }} . Environment variables are substituted when cron is installed

  • you may use the wrapper cronwrap.sh in order to execute the command in the Metwork context.

Warning

  • Never use crontab -e to edit the crontab file inline.

  • Never override the crontab file by entering the command crontab [your_crontab_file]

If you need to execute your cron command in the Metwork context, you should use the cron wrapper script ${MFBASE_HOME}/bin/cronwrap.sh, e.g. :

{{MFBASE_HOME}}/bin/cronwrap.sh --lock --low "find {{MFMODULE_RUNTIME_HOME}}/var/archive/ -type f -mtime +5 -exec rm -f {} \;" >/dev/null 2>&1

{{MFBASE_HOME}}/bin/cronwrap.sh -- plugin_wrapper [your_plugin_name]  [your_sh_command] >{{MFMODULE_RUNTIME_HOME}}/log/[your_log_filename] 2>&1

Enter cronwrap.sh --help for more details.