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INIT.D - The SuSE boot concept
SYNOPSIS
/etc/init.d/*
/etc/sysconfig
DESCRIPTION
The scripts for controlling the system are placed in /etc/init.d/ (they have been moved according to the Linux
Standard Base (LSB) specification). These scripts are executed directly or indirectly by /sbin/init, the father
of all processes. The configuration of /sbin/init is given by the file /etc/inittab (see inittab(5)).
At boot time, the boot level master script /etc/init.d/boot is called to initialise the system (e.g. file system
check, ...). It also executes some hardware init scripts linked into /etc/init.d/boot.d/. Then it calls
/etc/init.d/boot.local, which executes the local commands.
After system startup, /sbin/init will normally switch on the default run level given in /etc/inittab. It calls
the run level master script /etc/init.d/rc to start or stop services provided by the other scripts under
/etc/init.d/.
Both scripts, then boot level master script /etc/init.d/boot and the the run level master script /etc/init.d/rc
starts all other boot or runlevel scripts either sequential or partial parallel within their dependencies order.
To control the services of a run level, the corresponding scripts are linked into run level directories
/etc/init.d/rc<X>.d/, where <X>=0,1,2,3,4,5,6,S is the run level number.
There are two kinds of symbolic link: start links, which are called when entering a run level, and stop links,
which are called when leaving a run level. Note that each service in the run levels 2, 3, 4, and 5 consists of a
start and a stop link. Within SuSE boot concept a differential link scheme is used to be able to change a run-
level in comparision with the former level.
If parallel executing of the boot scripts is enabled (see /etc/sysconfig/boot variable RUN_PARALLEL) then both
master scripts uses the program startpar(8) which starts or stops multiple services in parallel. Startpar(8)
will look for the files /etc/init.d/.depend.boot, /etc/init.d/.depend.start, and /etc/init.d/.depend.stop to get
the dependencies for each service. The files will be written, beside the symbolic links in the boot and runlevel
directories, by the program insserv(8).
To avoid redundant starts when changing run levels, only those services are started which have no start link in
the previous run level. And to avoid redundant stops when changing run levels, only those services are stopped
which have no start link in the current level. To control this behaviour, the names of the scripts are added on
the names of the start and stop links.
To control the order of service starts and stops, the start and stop links include a number in their link name.
The system configuration files in /etc/sysconfig contain most of the variables used to configure the installed
services. These variables can easily be changed by YaST or by using an editor. After using an editor, the script
/sbin/SuSEconfig must be called to distribute the settings into the system.
Some details
The script /etc/init.d/lpd starts or stops the line printer daemon for the printing service, according to the
flag used:
/etc/init.d/lpd start
and
/etc/init.d/lpd stop
To do this automatically in run level 3, this script is linked into /etc/init.d/rc3.d/ with these two symbolic
links
/etc/init.d/rc3.d/S20lpd -> ../lpd
and
/etc/init.d/rc3.d/K20lpd -> ../lpd
The corresponding link with the letter S is used to start a service. For the printing service the number between
the letter S and the name should be greater than the number of the start link of the network service. The corre-
sponding link with the letter K is used to stop a service. The number of the stop link for the printing service
should be less than that of the stop link for the network service so that the printer daemon is stopped before
shutting down the network service.
Run levels and their services
0 This level is used for halting the system. The only valid service for this level is the script halt, which
is linked into /etc/init.d/rc0.d/. The script halt executes /etc/init.d/halt.local. Special system
issues for halt or reboot should be added there.
6 This level is used for rebooting the system. The only valid service for this level is the script reboot,
which is linked into /etc/init.d/rc6.d/. The script reboot executes /etc/init.d/halt.local. Specials
system issues for halt or reboot should be added there.
S This mode is used to switch from boot phase into single user mode. The last valid service for this mode
is the script single, which is linked into /etc/init.d/rcS.d/. In this mode you have only one console.
1 According to the Linux Standard Base (LSB) specification this runlevel is used to switch from normal run-
level into single user mode. This is different from former SuSE Linux versions!
2 The run level 2 is without remote networking. Note that on some other systems this is identical with the
single user mode. This run level can have more than one virtual console.
3 The run level 3 is with network. This run level is for server stations not automatically running X.
5 The level 5 is with network and xdm(1). You should have a configured and perfectly running X Window Sys-
tem for this work station run level.
4 The run level 4 is not (yet) used.
/etc/init.d/skeleton
This script is a model for writing your own. You can use insserv(8) to include your own script into a run
level.
FILES
/etc/init.d/*
/etc/init.d/boot
/etc/init.d/boot.local
/etc/init.d/halt
/etc/init.d/halt.local
/etc/init.d/rc
/etc/init.d/reboot
/etc/init.d/skeleton
/etc/init.d/single
/etc/init.d/boot.d/S[0-9][0-9]*
/etc/init.d/rc0.d/{K,S}[0-9][0-9]*
/etc/init.d/rc1.d/{K,S}[0-9][0-9]*
/etc/init.d/rc2.d/{K,S}[0-9][0-9]*
/etc/init.d/rc3.d/{K,S}[0-9][0-9]*
/etc/init.d/rc4.d/{K,S}[0-9][0-9]*
/etc/init.d/rc5.d/{K,S}[0-9][0-9]*
/etc/init.d/rc6.d/{K,S}[0-9][0-9]*
/etc/init.d/rcS.d/{K,S}[0-9][0-9]*
/etc/init.d/.depend.boot
/etc/init.d/.depend.start
/etc/init.d/.depend.stop
/etc/inittab
/etc/sysconfig/boot
/etc/sysconfig
RELATED
insserv(8), startpar(8), init(8), inittab(5), and the SuSE Linux handbook, chapter The SuSE boot concept.
COPYRIGHT
1996-2005 SuSE Linux AG, Nuernberg, Germany.
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