On Sun 25 May 2003 17:41, Gary L. Greene posted as excerpted below: > On Sunday 25 May 2003 08:19 pm, George Mitchell wrote: > > I definately agree with GnuMdk on this one. The standard init method > > which divides up scripts by function is far easier to deal with than the > > current global scripts like rc.sysinit. This would be a very good > > upgrade and cleanup. > > > > GnuMdk wrote: > > >Mandrake rc.sysinit is, i think, too big and have to be improved... > > >I think the debian method to boot is better than RedHat/Mandrake one... > > >Debian use many script located in /etc/rcS.d like what we found for > > >differents runlevels in Mandrake. For exemple, there is a script for > > >root checking, one for hwclock,... > > > > > >I prefer this method and i think it is better than having all in one > > >script... It will allow experimented users to disable things they don't > > >need(quota, raid, lvm, Encrypted filesystem, TVOUT) and it will be > > >easier to add a new feature to boot with this method. > > Unfortunately, since Mandrake wants to maintain Red Hat compatibility, they > can't change it unless RH does the same :(
I agree, altho disassembling the script myself into components was how I cut my teeth on learning both shell scripting and the Mdk init system, as I did it, then upgraded initscripts, then did it again. <g> Now, I don't bother, as I'm running Cooker and updating initscripts fairly regularly, but I know where stuff is basically and always delete the i18n font initialization stuff, as it fails to keep the LILO screen resolution choice I made. RH compatibility has already been mentioned, but it seems to me Mdk already puts its own initscripts mods in, so it might as well mod it some more. Why not keep the same rc.sysinit master initscript, but source the various component pieces as separate files from there? That's what I was doing, and it worked. We'd still have the master script for RH compatibility, but the individually purposed files for ease of maintenance. What I did was chose an arbitrary size, five or ten lines I think, and split off anything bigger than that into its own file. The rc.sysinit file remained of decent size, as it still had the small stuff, the calls to the other files, and the comments saying what they did, but it was far better than the spaghetti code we have now. Interestingly enough, this was one of the suggestions I eventually intended to make upon joining this list, but decided to see if it came up on its own b4 I as a relative newbie to the list made such a radical suggestion. AFAIK, the suggestion above, keeping the master rc.sysinit, but breaking out the various functions, should be the best of both worlds, maintaining compatibility, and getting rid of all that spaghetti code. However, I admit that some may have a bit stricter definition of compatibility than that, tho I at this point don't see the purpose in such, as it'd seem little worse than the current Mdk "customized" version, just customized a bit further, at an ENORMOUS benefit in transparency and maintainability. Of course, then folks would be deprived of the depth of learning experience I had, delving into it, as a still wet behind the ears Linux newbie. <g> -- Duncan - List replies preferred. "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." Benjamin Franklin
