Why does state-svc run in the background?

State Tool
1

Hi,

I noticed a number of log files created by the state tool, and also that state-svc.exe starts at boot and runs in the background. Looking at the log files, I am concerned by the information that this tool may be sending to an external computer.

I see lines like these in the log files:

[DBG 11:05:15.520 client.go:143] Sending Google Analytics reports? true

[DBG 14:07:38.589 service.go:44] Server starting on port: <redacted>
[DBG 14:07:38.590 client.go:18] Initializing ipc client with socket: C:\Users\root\AppData\Local\Temp\state-ipc\state-release.sock
[DBG 14:07:38.590 server.go:99] waiting for done channel closure
[DBG 14:07:38.638 comm.go:23] handling ping request

[DBG 14:07:39.922 messages.go:89] Checking 2 messages with params: messages.ConditionParams{UserID:"", UserName:"", UserEmail:"", OS:"Windows", OSVersion:messages.Version{Raw:"10.0.19045", Major:10, Minor:0, Patch:19045, Build:""}, StateChannel:"release", StateVersion:messages.Version{Raw:"0.42.0-SHAcbce75e", Major:0, Minor:42, Patch:0, Build:""}, Command:"state", Flags:[]string{}}

Some of these entries might have been triggered my request to update a project, but I know for sure that some were not because they occurred right after rebooting my computer, before I used any ActiveState product.

Please answer these questions:

  1. What would happen if I disabled state-service and/or state-svc.exe from running at startup? I would be an easy way for me not to worry about it.
  2. If these programs must run in the background in order to use the state tool, can you explain what information is sent and why?
  3. If these programs must run in the background in order to run ActivePerl (after installation with state checkout “project” --runtime-path “local-path”), can you explain what information is sent and why?
  4. When can I delete the log files if they take up too much space?

I am willing to take the risk of sending information out, if I understand the risks and benefits.

Edit:
Is the data transferred by this method the “User Data” described in the ACTIVESTATE PLATFORM FREE TIER TERMS OF SERVICE (FTOS)? If so, it would partly answer questions 2 and 3, but questions 1 and 4 remain.

Thanks!

2
  1. nothing if you are not using the state tool right away. The state tool will automatically start it the first time you invoke it, and since it wasn’t started already that first state tool run will be slower.
  2. correct info is covered in our FTOS - https://www.activestate.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/activestate_platform_terms_service_agreement.pdf
  3. if you are not making any changes to the project and have already agreed to our license agreement/terms and conditions and won’t use state tool to manage the binaries you can use the binaries without state tool running
    4 . You can delete them freely, but if you run into errors it may limit our ability to troubleshoot if you delete them too often. It should auto rotate so it should only take up a fixed amount of space. If it’s growing exponentially let us know what version of state tool you are running in case there is a bug.
1 Like
3

That answers my questions, thanks!