Re: PROPOSAL: init file actions (draft 2)

[Alan Cox <alan@cymru.net>]

> The output format for any error messages and the "status" command is
> defined as follows:
> 
>     <script-name>: <message>[: <optional detail>]
>     <optional text>
> 
> For the "status" command:
> 
>     <message> => "running" | "stopped" | "dead"

We should define return codes as appropriate not strings. This is English
centric.

> All error messages should be printed on standard error.  All status
> messages should be printed on standard output.

Each distribution has a distinctive format. It would still be right IMHO
to provide shell functions for error/warning etc that cant be used so the
script added looks like the vendor native form.

> Init files should try to account for unusual environment variable
> settings (such as PATH, USER, LOGNAME, etc.) and continue to work if
> reasonable.

Yep.