Am I Running as a Service

I am currently writing a little bootstrap code for a service that can be run in the console. It essentially boils down to calling the OnStart() method instead of using the ServiceBase to start and stop the service (because it doesn't run the application if it isn't installed as a service and makes debugging a nightmare).

Right now I am using Debugger.IsAttached to determine if I should use ServiceBase.Run or [service].OnStart, but I know that isn't the best idea because some times end users want to run the service in a console (to see the output etc. realtime).

Any ideas on how I could determine if the Windows service controller started 'me', or if the user started 'me' in the console? Apparantly Environment.IsUserInteractive is not the answer. I thought about using commandline args, but that seems 'dirty'.

I could always see about a try-catch statement around ServiceBase.Run, but that seems dirty. Edit: Try catch doesn't work.

I have a solution: putting it up here for all the other interested stackers:

    public void Run()
    {
        if (Debugger.IsAttached || Environment.GetCommandLineArgs().Contains<string>("-console"))
        {
            RunAllServices();
        }
        else
        {
            try
            {
                string temp = Console.Title;
                ServiceBase.Run((ServiceBase[])ComponentsToRun);
            }
            catch
            {
                RunAllServices();
            }
        }
    } // void Run

    private void RunAllServices()
    {
        foreach (ConsoleService component in ComponentsToRun)
        {
            component.Start();
        }
        WaitForCTRLC();
        foreach (ConsoleService component in ComponentsToRun)
        {
            component.Stop();
        }
    }

EDIT: There was another question on StackOverflow where the guy had problems with the Environment.CurrentDirectory being "C:\Windows\System32" looks like that may be the answer. I will test today.

Solution 1:

Another workaround.. so can run as WinForm or as windows service

var backend = new Backend();

if (Environment.UserInteractive)
{
     backend.OnStart();
     Application.EnableVisualStyles();
     Application.SetCompatibleTextRenderingDefault(false);
     Application.Run(new Fronend(backend));
     backend.OnStop();
}
else
{
     var ServicesToRun = new ServiceBase[] {backend};
     ServiceBase.Run(ServicesToRun);
}

Solution 2:

I usually flag my Windows service as a console application which takes a command line parameter of "-console" to run using a console, otherwise it runs as a service. To debug you just set the command line parameters in the project options to "-console" and you're off!

This makes debugging nice and easy and means that the app functions as a service by default, which is what you'll want.