More on XDM and runlevels

[Chad Walstrom <chewie@wookimus.net>]

Brad wrote:
 
"As has been mentioned before, this isn't the best solution either. Say
you remove the link in runlevel 2. Fine, xdm doesn't start on boot. Then
you change to level 3, and xdm is started. Again, good. But now you change
back to level 2, where xdm shouldn't be running. What happens? xdm is
still there, since you never told the system to kill it in runlevel 2."

Simple solution.  If you want xdm killed in run level 2, just add a
symbolic link in rc2.d to xdm prefixed with a "KNNxdm" where K directs the
computer to "Kill" the app and NN is the number sequence in which you want
the app killed.

Eric G . Miller wrote:

"Yes, but this begs the question, why? I don't know of any good reason to
go around changing runlevels midstream.  The only time that makes any
sense to me, is when you want to do maintainence, and don't want anyone
else using the system, and only the minimal services running. For that,
using "shutdown now" brings you down to runlevel 1, then you log in as
root, do whatever, and then bring the system back up. Am I missing
something here?"

Well, I can't site any reason w/xdm other than possibly using something
like kdm or gdm periodically.  However, I do know run levels come in
handy.  Let's say, for example, you'd like to work on your web pages at
home, perhaps running mysql and apache with php.  Yet, you're only running
a 486 which has limited resources.  You've got no need to run Apache and
MySQL all of the time, just when you need them.  There's where run levels
come into play.

But to answer your question, yes, you are missing something.  There is no
reason to bring the system down to run level 1 when it's just as easy to
type "init <num>" to change the function of the machine.  Run levels are
there to be used.  They're there as a convenience and as a flexible tool.
Use them!  Experiment with them!  Isn't that what Linux is for?

^chewie