Re: Switching the default startup method
On Mon, Aug 24, 2009 at 08:54:06AM +0200, Raphael Hertzog wrote:
> On Mon, 24 Aug 2009, Andreas Barth wrote:
> > We should definitly continue to support oldstyle booting, at least for
> > the time being.
>
> Until what? Missing boot-time dependencies were the only problem that had
> to be adressed to fix boot sequence ordering.
Until we're 100% confident that the new method is working correctly, and
is not causing problems for our users.
That's how we've always implemented intrusive changes such as this one.
I have no problem with making it the default for new installs -- that
makes sense. However, it should still be possible for people to remove
it if they have problems with it.
> Sure administrators will have to learn tweaking init scripts
> dependencies instead of tweaking numbers but one always has something
> to learn when upgrading to a newer version.
This isn't just about 'learning new stuff'.
> > > I think the missing point here is that insserv is just one of the ways to
> > > fix the problem of having to guess a correct start number, among many
> > > others; and any system that doesn't implement that is actually a
> > > regression. There are other tools similar to insserv that also do
> > > dependency-based booting (but AFAIK none of them are in Debian).
> >
> > So you are telling us here that anyone who depends on the 20+ years
> > working method of ordering boot with decimal numbers is using a
> > regression?
>
> They are relying on an inferior system and the fact that they are used to
> it doesn't change anything on its inferior design.
What makes it an 'inferior design'? I utterly disagree with that statement.
There are advantages to dependency-based boot systems, sure; but there
are advantages to *not* having that, too (e.g., it is more
deterministic, and therefore easier to debug).
Debian's had multiple choices for init scripts for a long time (file-rc
vs sysv-rc). I don't think there's any good reason to throw that out the
window.
--
The biometric identification system at the gates of the CIA headquarters
works because there's a guard with a large gun making sure no one is
trying to fool the system.
http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2009/01/biometrics.html
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