How to detect if Topshelf is running in console mode

Question

I am using Topshelf combined with FluentSchedule for a Windows Service.

However, I want to be able to trial-run the application to simply start up and not execute the FluentSchedule code that sets up the timer etc.

Is there a way when running the exe file from the Command Line (i.e. without 'install' command) to check from TopShelf that it is running in Console mode?

Answer 1

It's sort of a hack, but you can try to cast the HostControl interface to ConsoleRunHost, and if it's that type, you're running as a console application.

It's not ideal, sure, but surely you can hide this in an extension method to make it less ugly.

public static bool IsRunningAsConsole(this HostControl control)
{
    return control is ConsoleRunHost;
}

And you then get access to the HostControl by passing it in through the call to WhenStarted() in your service configuration.

s.WhenStarted((tc, hostControl) => tc.Start(hostControl));

Answer 2

You can use Environment.UserInteractive . Technically this won't work in 100% of the cases as it is possible to run a service in user-interactive mode, but this is a fringe case.