Filewatch library complains if HOME or SINCEDB_PATH variables are unset

[magnusbaeck]

The file input plugin requires that either the HOME or the SINCEDB_PATH environment variable is set or that the sincedb_path configuration option is set. The Filewatch library performs the same check, but even if sincedb_path is used on the Logstash side Filewatch complains:

$ unset HOME SINCEDB_PATH ; /opt/logstash/bin/logstash -e 'input { file { path => "/foo/bar" sincedb_path => "/tmp/sincedb" } }' --verbose
Settings: Default pipeline workers: 2
Registering file input {:path=>["/foo/bar"], :level=>:info}
Starting pipeline {:id=>"base", :pipeline_workers=>2, :batch_size=>125, :batch_delay=>5, :max_inflight=>250, :level=>:info}
Pipeline started {:level=>:info}
Logstash startup completed
A plugin had an unrecoverable error. Will restart this plugin.
  Plugin: <LogStash::Inputs::File path=>["/foo/bar"], sincedb_path=>"/tmp/sincedb", codec=><LogStash::Codecs::Plain charset=>"UTF-8">, stat_interval=>1, discover_interval=>15, sincedb_write_interval=>15, start_position=>"end", delimiter=>"\n", ignore_older=>86400, close_older=>3600>
  Error: No HOME or SINCEDB_PATH set in environment. I need one of these set so I can keep track of the files I am following. {:level=>:error}
^CSIGINT received. Shutting down the pipeline. {:level=>:warn}
Closing inputs {:level=>:info}
Closed inputs {:level=>:info}
Input plugins stopped! Will shutdown filter/output workers. {:level=>:info}
Pipeline shutdown complete. {:level=>:info}
Logstash shutdown completed
$ /opt/logstash/bin/logstash --version
logstash 2.2.0

Note that this error message isn't the similar one from the plugin's file.rb but originates from Filewatch's tail_base.rb. Looking at the code I don't understand how this can happen since Filewatch just like this plugin only cares about the environment variables if no explicit sincedb path has been set. I'm not sure if this is a problem in this plugin or in the Filewatch library.

[guyboertje]

@magnusbaeck - I have confirmed this is a bug

As said in that issue - I will fix this shortly.

[jay-dihenkar]

Any updates on tentative release date on solving this bug?

[guyboertje]

I will be publishing the fix today.

[guyboertje]

This PR, filewatch 78 fixes this issue as raised in the filewatch issue 76.