winsw: Windows service wrapper in less restrictive license
=========================

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WinSW is an executable binary, which can be used to wrap and manage a custom process as a Windows service.
Once you download the installation package, you can rename `winsw.exe` to any name, e.g. `myService.exe`.

### Why?

See the [project manifest](MANIFEST.md).

### Download

Starting from WinSW `2.x`, the releases are being hosted on GitHub ([here](https://github.com/kohsuke/winsw/releases)).

The project also uses the  [Jenkins](https://jenkins.io/index.html) Maven repository as a secondary storage of release files. 
Binaries are available [here](http://repo.jenkins-ci.org/releases/com/sun/winsw/winsw/). 

### Usage

WinSW is being managed by configuration files: [Main XML Configuration file](doc/xmlConfigFile.md) and [EXE Config file](doc/exeConfigFile.md).

Your renamed `winsw.exe` binary also accepts the following commands:

* `install` to install the service to Windows Service Controller.
  This command requires some preliminary steps described in the [Installation Guide](doc/installation.md).
* `uninstall` to uninstall the service. The opposite operation of above.
* `start` to start the service. The service must have already been installed.
* `stop` to stop the service.
* `restart` to restart the service. If the service is not currently running, this command acts like `start`.
* `status` to check the current status of the service. This command prints one line to the console. `NonExistent` to indicate the service is not currently installed, `Started` to indicate the service is currently running, and `Stopped` to indicate that the service is installed but not currently running.

### Supported .NET versions

WinSW `1.x` Executable is being built with a .NET Framework `2.0` target, and by defaut it will work only for .NET Framework versions below `3.5`.
On the other hand, the code is known to be compatible with .NET Framework `4.0` and above.
It is possible to declare the support of this framework via the `exe.config` file.
See the [Installation Guide](doc/installation.md) for more details.

WinSW `2.x` offers two executables, which declare .NET Frameworks `2.0` and `4.0` as targets.
Naming and download sources for these binaries are currently in flux.

### Documentation

* [Installation Guide](doc/installation.md) - Describes the installation process for different systems and .NET versions
* [Release notes](CHANGELOG.md)
* Configuration:
 * [Main XML Configuration file](doc/xmlConfigFile.md)
 * [EXE Configuration File](doc/exeConfigFile.md)
 * [Logging and Error Reporting](doc/loggingAndErrorReporting.md)
 * [Extensions](doc/extensions/extensions.md)
* Use-cases:
 * [Self-restarting services](doc/selfRestartingService.md)
 * [Deferred File Operations](doc/deferredFileOperations.md)
* Configuration Management:
 * [Puppet Forge Module](doc/puppetWinSW.md)

### Release lines

#### WinSW 2.x

This is a new release line under active development.

Major changes since 1.x:
* New executable package targeting the .NET Framework `4.0`. .NET Framework `2.0` is still supported.
* Migration of the logging subsystem to `Apache log4net`
* Internal [extension engine](doc/extensions/extensions.md), which allows extending the wrapper's behavior.

See the full changelog in the [release notes](CHANGELOG.md#20).

The version `2.x` is **fully compatible** with the `1.x` configuration file format, 
  hence the upgrade procedure just requires replacement of the executable file.

#### WinSW 1.x

This is an old baseline of WinSW.
Currently it is in the maintenance-only state.
New versions with fixes may be released on-demand.

### Build Environment

* IDE: [Visual Studio Community 2013](http://www.visualstudio.com/en-us/news/vs2013-community-vs.aspx) (free for open-source projects)
* `winsw-key.snk` should be available in the project's root in order to build the executable
 * You can generate the certificate in "Project Settings/Signing"
 * The certificate is in <code>.gitignore</code> list. Please do not add it to the repository