INIT SYSTEM

Cyberclops Cyberclops at hawaii.rr.com
Fri Apr 27 10:06:52 PDT 2001


I pretty much understand the run levels and have installed many
different distributions over the past year or so.  I decided I like SuSE
7.1 the best.  Actually I don't like it the most, but it is the
distribution that works the best at least on my hardware.  It's the
distribution that has enabled me to consider using Linux as a serious
alternative to WinDOS.  I was running Slackware for a while.  It is very
nimble and in that distribution you do a lot of bouncing around in the
run levels.  I want to make it clear though, I am interested in Linux
only from the point of view of a family using a home computer. 
Therefore most of what I ask will be about making it easy to use for the
ordinary person.  In other words it might be interesting to talk about
the fine points of an Indy Car suspension and tuning it, but it has
little to do with driving a passenger car in city traffic.  If you get
into a car that doesn't have the horn button in the center of the
steering wheel, it can cause problems for a driver unfamiliar with it.

Maybe you can explain or answer this:  How is the file system as it
relates to programs organized?  For example on a Mac it's very easy to
drag and drop programs from one machine to another if you have an
external disk drive that can be hooked up.  All you do is copy the
actual program folders.  Some programs have a view parts or folders that
are added to the system folder, but they are usually easy to find
partially due to the full name english language tittles that are used on
the file folders.  What about Linux.  Lets say I have a good version
Mozilla working in Slack or Libranet.  Can I just copy the entire
Mozilla that is already expanded in in Slack over to SuSE and have it
work?  Or is it like Windows where even if you actually installed the
program on that particular system the so called registry can get screwed
and you are totally out of luck?

Dusty wrote:
> 
> ---------------------------------------------------
> Great, but how does this make the Linux system easy to use for the home user?
> ---------------------------------------------------
> Understanding the Init System doesn't so much make Linux easier for the home user, it just gives you a better understanding of how the system works, which in turn makes Linux easier.  The more you know about something the easier it is.  It is just the way that Sys V *nix systems work.  On the other hand BSD based *nix use rc.local and rc.conf to configure the system and start applications.  The runlevels are organized into six different levels (or more depending on how you look at it).  To change Run Level simply type
> #init [0123456] <Enter>
> notice that there is a "#" meaning I am running the command as ROOT!
> 
> Init 0 - shut down, shuts down the system.  If you do a shutdown -h now the system goes into Init 0.
> 
> Init 1 - Single user mode, which means no networking.  If you are using your *nix box as a server with multiple people accessing it and you need to make a change to something and not have an outside user affect that change you put the system into Single User mode.
> 
> Init 2 - Linux uses this run level to bring the system into a command line mode with all services running except NFS.
> 
> Init 3 - The default runlevel in most Linux systems.  Brings the system into a command line mode.  Usually with all networking and unneeded deamons running.
> 
> Init 4 - Unused.  It is left for the user to build a special run level if they require that.
> 
> Init 5 - The default runlevel in most Linux systems to bring the system into X windows.
> 
> Init 6 - reboot.  It tell the system what to do in a reboot!
> 
> To know what run level your system boot to look at :
> 
> id:5:initdefault:
> 
> in you /etc/inittab
> 
> The /etc/inittab also tells what each run level is for.
> 
> Well anyway, that is that.  Let me know if you have any questions or if everyone here is just no interested in really learning how Linux works and more of how to make it easier!  I only like to talk about how it works.
> 
> Dusty
> 
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