# Service management

Create a honk service for systemd or OpenWrt procd, then use this page to control it and read its logs. Finish the configuration check in [Quick start](https://doona.daeuniverse.org/en/quick-start.md) or [Minimal configuration](https://doona.daeuniverse.org/en/minimal-configuration.md) first, and stop any foreground test process.

## 1. Create the service

Choose the section for your service manager. If a honk service already exists, inspect its executable and configuration paths before replacing it. The examples below use the paths from this site’s installation guides.

### systemd

Run on the gateway. In a root shell, omit `sudo`. This unit uses `/usr/local/bin/honk-core` and `/etc/honk/config.dae`.

```sh
sudo install -d -m 0700 /var/lib/honk
sudo tee /etc/systemd/system/honk-core.service > /dev/null <<'EOF'
[Unit]
Description=honk transparent proxy engine
Wants=network-online.target
After=network-online.target

[Service]
Type=notify
User=root
WorkingDirectory=/var/lib/honk
ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/honk-core --config /etc/honk/config.dae --disable-timestamp
ExecReload=/usr/local/bin/honk-core reload
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=2s
TimeoutStopSec=30s
LimitNOFILE=1048576
LimitMEMLOCK=infinity
UMask=0077

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
EOF
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
```

The unit follows [honk’s systemd example](https://github.com/daeuniverse/honk/blob/main/doc/en/how-to-start.md#run-with-systemd). Check that guide before adding privilege restrictions to the service.

### OpenWrt procd

Run as root on the router. This script uses `/usr/bin/honk-core` and the data directory prepared by [OpenWrt installation](https://doona.daeuniverse.org/en/install-openwrt.md#install-geodata).

```sh
cat > /etc/init.d/honk-core <<'EOF'
#!/bin/sh /etc/rc.common

START=99
STOP=10
USE_PROCD=1

start_service() {
    procd_open_instance
    procd_set_param command /usr/bin/honk-core --config /etc/honk/config.dae --data-dir /etc/honk/data --disable-timestamp
    procd_set_param limits nofile="1048576 1048576"
    procd_set_param env MIMALLOC_PURGE_DELAY=0
    procd_set_param respawn
    procd_set_param stdout 1
    procd_set_param stderr 1
    procd_close_instance
}

reload_service() {
    /usr/bin/honk-core reload
}
EOF
chmod 0755 /etc/init.d/honk-core
```

`MIMALLOC_PURGE_DELAY=0` requests immediate purging from mimalloc. The setting is described in [honk’s CLI reference](https://github.com/daeuniverse/honk/blob/main/doc/en/reference/cli.md).

## 2. Enable and start honk

```sh tab="systemd"
sudo systemctl enable --now honk-core
sudo systemctl status honk-core
```

```sh tab="OpenWrt"
/etc/init.d/honk-core enable
/etc/init.d/honk-core start
/etc/init.d/honk-core status
```

For systemd, look for `active (running)`. On OpenWrt, the status should report `running`. Repeat the API check from [Quick start](https://doona.daeuniverse.org/en/quick-start.md) to confirm that the listener is reachable.

## Read the logs

```sh tab="systemd"
sudo journalctl -u honk-core -e
```

```sh tab="OpenWrt"
logread -e honk-core
```

To follow new messages, use `sudo journalctl -u honk-core -f` on systemd or `logread -f -e honk-core` on OpenWrt. Press Ctrl+C to stop following. If startup fails, use the error in the log with [Troubleshooting](https://doona.daeuniverse.org/en/troubleshooting.md#troubleshooting).

The journal includes earlier service runs. Diagnose the current start from the latest `honk-core … starting` message, which also reports the engine version.

## Reload, restart, or stop

Check [What doona can change](https://doona.daeuniverse.org/en/what-doona-can-change.md) before choosing reload or restart. After either command, read the log to confirm the result.

| Task | systemd | OpenWrt |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Start | `sudo systemctl start honk-core` | `/etc/init.d/honk-core start` |
| Reload configuration | `sudo systemctl reload honk-core` | `/etc/init.d/honk-core reload` |
| Restart | `sudo systemctl restart honk-core` | `/etc/init.d/honk-core restart` |
| Stop | `sudo systemctl stop honk-core` | `/etc/init.d/honk-core stop` |
| Disable startup at boot | `sudo systemctl disable honk-core` | `/etc/init.d/honk-core disable` |

Disabling startup at boot does not stop a running service. To keep honk stopped after reboot, run both stop and disable.

## Service and reload errors

| Symptom or log message | Meaning and next step |
| --- | --- |
| systemd cannot find `honk-core.service` | Create the unit using step 1, run `sudo systemctl daemon-reload`, then start it using step 2. |
| Reload reports `no running honk-core instance` | No real instance holds the process lock. A foreground process using `--mock-ebpf` does not hold that lock. Start the intended real service using step 2. |
| `SIGHUP reload applied` | The new configuration was applied. |
| `SIGHUP reload rejected` | Read the accompanying `stage` and errors to determine whether the new configuration was applied; for a restart-required rejection, edit the listed settings on the host and [restart honk](https://doona.daeuniverse.org/en/what-doona-can-change.md). |
| `SIGHUP reload committed with degraded datapath` | The configuration was committed, but the datapath is degraded. Read the accompanying errors before treating the service as healthy. |

A successful reload command alone does not prove that the configuration was applied; check the service log for the outcome.

## OpenRC or a foreground test

This page does not provide an OpenRC service script. After configuring honk, you can run it in a terminal to complete the first sign-in:

```sh
sudo /usr/local/bin/honk-core --config /etc/honk/config.dae
```

Keep the terminal open and use the browser steps in [Quick start](https://doona.daeuniverse.org/en/quick-start.md). Logs appear in the terminal; Ctrl+C stops honk. This command does not enable startup at boot.