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The quickest check is cloud-init status. To make another script wait until initialization is complete, run cloud-init status --wait; it blocks until cloud-init finishes instead of requiring a polling loop. Use cloud-init status --long for a human-readable diagnosis or cloud-init status --format=json when automation needs status, errors, and per-stage timestamps.
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Run the right check first
Connect to the target server and run:
cloud-init statusThis reports cloud-init’s current state. Depending on what happened during boot, the result can indicate that cloud-init is still running, has completed, is disabled, or encountered an error. The command is useful for an operator checking a machine interactively, but its plain-text output is not the best interface for a provisioning script that must wait.
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For an external script, use the blocking form:
cloud-init status --waitCanonical’s boot documentation recommends this subcommand for scripts outside cloud-init. It waits for cloud-init to finish without requiring you to build a custom polling loop or a separate systemd dependency chain. Once the command returns, inspect its exit status before allowing the next provisioning step to proceed.
What “finished” means in cloud-init
Cloud-init does not perform all of its work in one instant. Its boot sequence is organized into five stages:
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- Detect: cloud-init identifies the environment and available datasource.
- Local: early local initialization runs before normal network availability.
- Network: network-dependent initialization takes place.
- Config: configuration modules are applied.
- Final: late-boot actions, including many user-data operations, run.
The Final stage is implemented by cloud-final.service and runs as late in boot as possible. User-defined scripts, package installation, and configuration-management plugins commonly run there. Therefore, if your next action depends on user-data effects, network setup, installed packages, or final-stage configuration, treat the server as ready only after the Final stage has completed—not merely because an earlier stage has finished.
This distinction explains why a machine can be reachable over SSH while provisioning is still in progress. Network availability proves that the network stage has made enough progress for a connection; it does not prove that final scripts or package operations are done.
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Use the short status command for a quick answer
cloud-init statusUse this when you are at the shell and need a quick state check. It is intentionally compact, so it does not show the full error arrays or timing details needed to explain a failed or unexpectedly slow boot.
Use the blocking command when timing matters
cloud-init status --waitThis command waits for cloud-init to reach completion. It is the preferred synchronization mechanism for an external script because the waiting behavior is provided by cloud-init itself. You do not need to guess a sleep interval, repeatedly invoke the short status command, or maintain a second definition of what “done” means.
Use long output when the result needs explanation
cloud-init status --longThe long form adds diagnostic information such as the datasource, a boot status code, an extended status, error arrays, and stage timing data. Use it when the short command says error, when expected user-data work is missing, or when you need to determine which portion of boot consumed the time.
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Use JSON for a machine-readable result
cloud-init status --format=jsonJSON output is suitable for automation that needs more than a single success or failure gate. It exposes fields including status, extended_status, errors, and per-stage start and finished timestamps. The stage data includes entries such as init, init-local, modules-config, and modules-final.
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Understand the exit codes before declaring success
The cloud-init status command documents three relevant outcomes:
| Exit code | Meaning | Operational response |
|---|---|---|
0 |
Cloud-init ran without error. | The command completed successfully. Continue only if your workflow also requires particular user-data effects and those effects are present. |
1 |
Cloud-init crashed. | Stop dependent automation and investigate the failure. A reachable server is not evidence that provisioning succeeded. |
2 |
Cloud-init finished with recoverable errors. | Do not silently treat this as an unqualified success. Review the reported errors and decide whether your workload can tolerate them. |
A shell script should preserve these distinctions. For example:
#!/bin/sh
cloud-init status --wait
rc=$?
case "$rc" in
0)
echo "cloud-init completed without error"
;;
1)
echo "cloud-init crashed" >&2
exit 1
;;
2)
echo "cloud-init completed with recoverable errors" >&2
exit 2
;;
*)
echo "unexpected cloud-init status exit code: $rc" >&2
exit "$rc"
;;
esacThe example treats code 2 as a separate policy decision instead of collapsing it into the same path as code 0. Your deployment can choose to continue after reviewing those errors, but that choice should be explicit.
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Check the boot-finished file
Cloud-init documents a persistent marker at:
/var/lib/cloud/instance/boot-finishedThe file is created by the final_message cloud-config module and indicates that “boot” is finished. A shell script or image-building tool can test for it directly:
test -f /var/lib/cloud/instance/boot-finishedA successful file test means the marker exists; a failed test means it does not. The marker is useful when the surrounding tool already works with filesystem signals, but it is less observable than the status commands: it does not by itself report whether cloud-init is still running, which datasource was used, what errors occurred, or how long individual stages took.
It also does not replace cloud-init status --wait as a synchronization primitive. If you build a workflow around the marker, you must provide your own polling or file-watching behavior and decide how to handle a server that never creates it. Prefer the status wait command when you control the script that needs to block.
Choose a completion check for the job
| Check | Synchronization | Observability | Automation safety | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
cloud-init status |
Does not itself describe a waiting workflow. | Short state result. | Useful for an operator; limited for structured parsing. | Quick, interactive question: “How do I know cloud-init is done?” |
cloud-init status --wait |
Blocks until cloud-init completes. | Completion and documented exit code. | Safer than a hand-written polling loop for an external script. | Gating the next provisioning step. |
cloud-init status --long |
Reports the current/completed state; it is not the primary blocking interface. | Extended status, boot status code, datasource, errors, and stage timing. | Readable by people, but text parsing is less robust than JSON. | Incident response and one-off diagnosis. |
cloud-init status --format=json |
Use with the wait command when a workflow must block first. | Structured fields and per-stage start/finished timestamps. |
Best choice when a controller must parse results consistently. | Logging, dashboards, and policy decisions in automation. |
test -f /var/lib/cloud/instance/boot-finished |
Requires your own polling or watcher. | Only the marker’s presence is visible. | Simple but provides no error or stage detail. | Shell-based image building or tools that already use file markers. |
A reliable operator procedure
1. Ask for the current state
cloud-init statusIf it reports that cloud-init is running, do not infer that it is stuck just because the server accepts connections. Continue with the diagnostic form while allowing the process to finish.
2. Wait when your task depends on provisioning
cloud-init status --waitRun this before installing software, registering the host, starting a service that depends on user-data configuration, or handing the machine to another automation system. The wait command is specifically intended for scripts external to cloud-init.
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3. Capture details if the result is not clean
cloud-init status --long
cloud-init status --format=jsonUse long output for a human-readable incident record and JSON when another program will consume the result. Save the output with the host’s provisioning logs so the state, datasource, errors, and timing can be correlated with the deployment.
4. Confirm the stage that matters to your workload
Read the stage information and identify whether the work you are waiting for belongs to Final. If your requirement is “all user-data scripts and package installation have completed,” a successful earlier stage is not sufficient; the relevant completion point is the Final stage represented by cloud-final.service.
5. Apply an explicit exit-code policy
Code 0 is a clean run, code 1 is a crash, and code 2 means completion with recoverable errors. Decide in advance whether code 2 blocks your deployment, and record that decision rather than hiding it in a generic “command failed” branch.
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Automation patterns that avoid race conditions
Gate a dependent command with the wait result
if cloud-init status --wait; then
echo "cloud-init completed cleanly"
# Run the next provisioning action here.
else
rc=$?
echo "cloud-init did not complete cleanly (exit $rc)" >&2
cloud-init status --long >&2
exit "$rc"
fiThis pattern prevents the dependent action from starting while cloud-init is still running. It also records the long status when the wait command returns a nonzero result. If your policy allows recoverable errors, handle exit code 2 in a separate branch instead of using a broad success test.
Collect structured evidence after waiting
cloud-init status --wait
wait_rc=$?
cloud-init status --format=json > /var/log/cloud-init-status.json
exit "$wait_rc"The first command provides synchronization. The second creates a structured snapshot for a controller or later review. Keep the wait result because the JSON file is evidence, not a substitute for checking the command’s exit code.
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Use the marker only when a file signal is required
while ! test -f /var/lib/cloud/instance/boot-finished; do
sleep 1
doneThis illustrates the additional machinery a marker-based workflow needs: polling and a policy for a marker that never appears. A production wrapper should also define a timeout and failure path appropriate to its environment. When possible, replace this loop with cloud-init status --wait so cloud-init owns the synchronization logic.
Troubleshoot a server that never reaches a clean state
Start with long status output
cloud-init status --longLook at the reported state, extended status, boot status code, datasource details, errors, and stage timing. This tells you whether the issue is an active run, a crash, recoverable errors, or a machine on which cloud-init is disabled.
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cloud-init status --format=jsonInspect status, extended_status, errors, and each stage’s finished value. A missing or unfinished field identifies where the sequence stopped without forcing a parser to interpret human-readable wording.
Inspect the final-stage service
systemctl status cloud-final.serviceThe Final stage is the place to focus when user-data scripts, package installation, or configuration-management plugins did not produce their expected effects. The exact packaging, service presentation, and log locations vary by distribution, so consult that system’s cloud-init and systemd records rather than assuming one universal log path.
Separate “disabled” from “finished”
The status command can report disabled as well as completed. A disabled instance is not evidence that the requested user-data work ran successfully; it means cloud-init is not performing its normal run. Treat that state as a configuration or image decision that requires confirmation before the host is handed to downstream automation.
Check the expected work, not only the signal
Even a clean completion signal does not tell you whether your application-specific objective was correct. After cloud-init completes, verify the concrete outcome your workflow needs: for example, that the configuration file exists, the expected package is installed, or the service has the intended settings. Keep this verification separate from cloud-init’s own completion check so a successful boot is not mistaken for a successful application deployment.
Quick Recap
Common mistakes and their fixes
- Checking SSH availability instead of cloud-init: a reachable network does not prove Final-stage work is complete. Run
cloud-init status --wait. - Polling the short command forever: use the documented wait subcommand, and add a timeout around the broader job if your orchestration system requires one.
- Parsing human-readable output: request
--format=jsonand consume documented fields. - Treating every nonzero result identically: distinguish crash code 1 from recoverable-error code 2.
- Using only the marker file for diagnosis: the file has no error, datasource, or timing information; pair it with long or JSON status when investigating.
- Assuming an earlier stage is enough: user-data scripts and package installation commonly run in Final, represented by
cloud-final.service. - Ignoring a disabled state: confirm that disabling cloud-init was intentional before declaring the server provisioned.
A compact runbook
- On the target server, run
cloud-init statusfor an immediate state. - If another process must wait, run
cloud-init status --wait. - Gate the next action on the documented exit code: 0 is clean, 1 is a crash, and 2 is completion with recoverable errors.
- For any unexpected result, capture
cloud-init status --longandcloud-init status --format=json. - Check the stage timestamps and confirm that Final/
cloud-final.servicecompleted if your workflow depends on user-data effects. - Use
test -f /var/lib/cloud/instance/boot-finishedonly when a persistent file marker fits the surrounding tool. - Verify the application-specific outcome before handing the server to the next system.
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