[Date Prev][Date Next] [Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index] [Thread Index]

Re: [LONG] RH refugee comments & questions



Dave Sherohman wrote:

On the (exceedingly rare) occasions when I want to temporarily
disable something, I do it with mv S->s.  Prevents the startup and
preserves the information on when it should fall in the startup
sequence.
This is one of those things that I'm interested in myself. In something like SuSE or RedHat, I'd just go in and issue a command of something like /etc/rc.d/init.d/nfsserver restart to shut down and restart the server w/ new config file. SuSE had a handy shortcut where a body could just type 'rcnfsserver restart' w/o having to type out the full path or cd to that directory and do the same thing. What would be the equivalent in Debian (of the full path command)?

Why does debian use the run level 2 instead of 3, as usual, to activate
network?

Debian policy is to configure all run levels from 2-5 identically and
leave it to the local admin to customize them as he sees fit.

I guess that makes some sense.  But see below

Why the hell did the debian developpers changed that?

They didn't.  Debian has been doing it this way since before LSB
existed.

I'm not sure where everybody thinks this is a 'RedHat' thing, or a 'LSB' thing. From what I have always understook, it's a SysV thing, having the multiple run levels, that were traditionally defined as the OP described. Actually, after trying to remember where I saw this, here it is, from Essential System Administration, by Aeleen Frisch, pg 90, table 4-1 System V Run Levels

Run Level 2 Multiuser mode; the normal operating state for isolated, non-networked systems, or networked, non-server systems, depending on the version of UNIX

Run Level 3 Remote File sharing state: defined as the normal operating state for server systems on networks that share their local resources with other systems.

Below the table, is an interesting tidbit:

In many implementations, states 1 and S are not distinguishable in practice, and not all states are predefined by all implementations. State 3 is the defined normal operating mode for networked systems. In practice, many System V systems collapse run levels 2 and 3, supporting all networking functions at run level 2 and ignoring level 3, or making them identical so that 2 and 3 become alternate names forthe same system state.

The text goes on to state that for the purposes of the book examples, they would separate levels 2 and 3, and make level 3 the default system run level.


Hmmm.... interesting. I originally started to post this because I am also a long-time RedHat and SuSE user, and as such find the 'Debian way' a bit of a mind-bender at times, and to some degree, 'agree' that level 3 should be the default run level for networked operations. But after reading thru the section on SysV run-levels, most applicable parts I just included, I'd have to say that while I don't necessarily agree w/ the decision, it appears to be a legitimate one.

HTH,

Monte



Reply to: