Art Alexion on 2 Nov 2005 01:54:53 -0000


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Re: [PLUG] Editing System V init


LeRoy Cressy wrote:

> Stephen Gran wrote:
>
> >On Tue, Nov 01, 2005 at 06:11:09PM -0500, Art Alexion said:
>
> >>By default, my distro tries to run an ntp update script before it
> >>initializes ppp.  The documentation on the distro web site shows you how
> >>to disable the ntp init script, but I don't want to do that.  I want to
> >>edit the startup so that it runs _after_ ppp is initialized.
> >>
> >>I installed the webmin init module, but need to read about the runlevel
> >>and 'start at' and 'stop at' settings before I make any changes.  Google
> >>hasn't helped me find documentation.  Can anyone recommend a place?
>
>
> >Without knowing more about what your distro is, I invite you,
> >semi-facetiously, to investigate the lovely command 'mv'.  The beauty of
> >a simple
> >mv /etc/rc2.d/S23ntp /etc/rc2.d/S53ntp
> >beats all of webmin, for me.
>
> >On a more serious note, if you know what your distros default run level
> >is, just push the ntp start link to something slightly later than the
> >ppp start link.  That is the simplest solution.
>
> >The way it works, roughly (and totally solution dependant, but most
> >linux distros do it this way these days) is that the kernel boots, and
> >at some point hands thing off to init.  init runs all of the scripts
> >that start with S in the rcS.d directory, and then switches to the
> >'default' run level - what that default is is completely distribution
> >dependant, although I think Redhat-alikes all use 5.
>
> >Then init runs all scripts in rc5.d directory that begin with an S with
> >the start argument (and really, it should also run all scripts that begin
> >with a K with the stop argument, but many don't).  The only real things
> >to know about the hacked SysV init that most linux distros use is that
>
> >a) scripts whose names start with S should get run with the start
> >   argument
> >b) scripts whose names start with K should get run with the stop
> >   argument  
> >c) All scripts in a directory are run in numerical order
> >d) At boot, S is first, then default run level.
>
> >That's the basics for managing it.
>
> I have seen sever questions about linux startup in the past and I think
> that it is a good time to answer some general questions.
>
> 1.    Kernel loads init which reads /etc/inittab
> 2.    /etc/inittab references to the startup script with a lines
>     like:
>     
>     l0:0:wait:/etc/init.d/rc 0
>     l1:1:wait:/etc/init.d/rc 1
>     l2:2:wait:/etc/init.d/rc 2
>     l3:3:wait:/etc/init.d/rc 3
>     l4:4:wait:/etc/init.d/rc 4
>     l5:5:wait:/etc/init.d/rc 5
>     l6:6:wait:/etc/init.d/rc 6
>     # Normally not reached, but fallthrough in case of emergency.
>     z6:6:respawn:/sbin/sulogin
>
>     /etc/init.d/rc is a shell script which starts the startup        
>     programs in order.  Reading both inittab and the rc script
>     will teach you how the system starts.  It is also good to
>     read the man page for init which gives the details of the
>     boot process.
>
>
> Steve gave the quick info you wanted, but if you switch distros sometime
> in the future, you will need to see where that distro puts the init
> scripts.  It seems that each distro is slitely different.


I am understanding this better, but no closer to a solution.  The thing
that has me stumped (see my reply to Stephen Gran's help) is that the
script I want to run later is in rcS.d which is supposed to execute for
all run levels while the script I want to execute first is in rc2.d
through rc5.d, which feels like it is making apples and oranges out of
this ordering logic.  In fact, ntpdate is S51 (that is
/etc/rcS.d/S51ntpdate) while ifupdown is /etc/rcS.d/S39ifupdown, and ppp
is /etc/rc[2-5].d/S14ppp.

While I am getting a clearer understanding of what is _supposed_ to be
going on, I am getting more confused with how _my system_ doesn't seem
to want to follow the logic.

-- 

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Art Alexion
Arthur S. Alexion LLC

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