Re: runlevel configuration for init.d scripts - add a note to spec?

[Bodo Meissner <mei@asdis.de>]

On Fri, 20 Apr 2001, Theodore Tso wrote:

> On Thu, Apr 19, 2001 at 01:02:03PM +0200, Bodo Meissner wrote:
> >
> > OK. I misunderstood the specification. When I read about this tool I did
> > not remember the specification of the comment header in the scripts. I did
> > not think of the possibility that the runlevel comments would be used by
> > an installation program.
>
> The comment header in the init.d script is what's used to set up the
> default run levels.

The message from Thorsten Kukuk <kukuk@suse.de> (on Thu, 19 Apr 2001
12:14:41 +0200) already made it clear to me. It was a misunderstanding on
my part.

> We could try to standardize this, but it's really an UI issue, and
> therefore out of scope of the LSB.  Also, the distributions have
> drifted quite a bit in terms of how init.d scripts are managed.

I agree, since my misunderstanding is cleared now.


I would suggest to add a remark to the description of install_initd that
it uses the comment header as described in the previos section.


Now, after reading these parts of the spec again and more thoroughly, I
think there is an inconsistency between "Installation and removal of
init.d files" and "Comment conventions for init scripts" or at least there
is a point which can be misunderstood.

"Comment conventions..." says:

  This [init.d] file is installed by the install_initd program described
  below, which copies it into a standard directory and makes whatever
  other adjustments (creation of symlinks, creation of entries in a
  database, etc.) are necessary so that the script can be run at
  boot-time.

My interpretation: The install_initd program will install the file to
/etc/init.d AND create the links to the rc?.d directories (or what else
might be necessary).

"Installation and removal..." says: This [copying the init.d file into

  /etc/init.d] can be done by the package installer. During the package's
  postinstall script, the program "/usr/lib/lsb/install_initd" to
  configure the distribution's boot script system to call the package's
  init.d file at the appropriate time.

My interpretation: The install_initd program will ONLY create the links to
the rc?.d directories.

Or I might understand "This CAN BE DONE by the package installer." this
way: If the file is copied into /etc/init.d by the package installer the
program install_initd will only create the links, else install_initd will
do both copying into /etc/init.d and creating the links.


What is the correct interpretation. Maybe it should be written
explicitely in order to avoid confusion or misinterpretation.


Bodo