Command line binary sensors failled with systemctl

Configuration
1

hello everyone
I am curently try to create a interface with main service running on my nuc for that I have create binary sensor like that:

- platform:  command_line
  name: Radicale service
  command: 'systemctl is-active radicale'
  device_class: moving
  payload_on: active
  payload_off: inactive

problem is when I stop the serce to test, sensor don’t switch to off I have this error in log:

2020-02-11 21:25:39 ERROR (SyncWorker_0) [homeassistant.components.command_line.sensor] Command failed: systemctl is-active radicale

when after that I restart Home assistant service is off. when I restart the service he switch correctly to on, but if I stop again service I have the same issue
weird isn’t he?

2

is-active will return non zero if it’s inactive. Just testing, mine returned ‘inactive’ and the return code was 3.

It’s possible defining a value_template will ignore the output result. This is true for command_line switch at least.

- platform:  command_line
  name: Radicale service
  command: 'systemctl is-active radicale'
  device_class: moving
  payload_on: active
  payload_off: inactive
  # Returns true if value is active. False otherwise. 
  value_template: "{{ value == 'active' }}"

Actually, payload_on and payload_off are redundant with that template. I’d just use the following command and ignore the value_template.

command: 'systemctl is-active radicale || true'

3

Indeed I don’t check return code
I will try like you say

4

seem doesn’t work for me, like the sensor execution stop with non zero return code
but i have try this and seem to work :sweat_smile:

- platform:  command_line
  name: Radicale sensor
  command: 'echo $(systemctl is-active radicale)'
  device_class: moving
  payload_on: active
  payload_off: inactive`