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jamapii
l33t
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Joined: 16 Sep 2004
Posts: 637

PostPosted: Sat Oct 04, 2008 12:21 pm    Post subject: /etc/inittab: get terminals sooner Reply with quote

Here it is:
Code:
# Default runlevel.
id:3:initdefault:

# System initialization, mount local filesystems, etc.
si::sysinit:/sbin/rc sysinit

# Further system initialization, brings up the boot runlevel.
rc::bootwait:/sbin/rc boot

# TERMINALS
c2:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty2 linux
c3:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty3 linux
c4:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty4 linux
c5:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty5 linux
c6:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty6 linux

l0:0:wait:/sbin/rc shutdown
l1:S1:wait:/sbin/rc single
l2:2:wait:/sbin/rc nonetwork
l3:3:wait:/sbin/rc default
l4:4:wait:/sbin/rc default
l5:5:wait:/sbin/rc default
l6:6:wait:/sbin/rc reboot
#z6:6:respawn:/sbin/sulogin

# TERMINALS
c1:12345:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty1 linux

# What to do at the "Three Finger Salute".
ca:12345:ctrlaltdel:/sbin/shutdown -r now

# Used by /etc/init.d/xdm to control DM startup.
# Read the comments in /etc/init.d/xdm for more
# info. Do NOT remove, as this will start nothing
# extra at boot if /etc/init.d/xdm is not added
# to the "default" runlevel.
x:a:once:/etc/X11/startDM.sh


In all inittabs I have ever seen, in Gentoo, Suse, Slackware and the old SLS, the virtual terminals come up only after booting is *really* complete. Why? I have changed all inittabs (where it makes sense) to give me the vterminals after the boot runlevel, before default. Isn't this soooo the right way of booting? (this line shamelessly stolen from Rasterman, on discovering xcb) I'm using this for a few years now with no problems and only advantages.

nfsmount or others may sometimes hang for very long or forever, so I switch the VT, log in and do a quick fix or debug the problem as it is happening.

Why isn't this used anywhere (or even everywhere), is it not as good as I think? Any security problems?
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smerf
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Joined: 06 Nov 2004
Posts: 778
Location: Polska

PostPosted: Sat Oct 04, 2008 2:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Why not everywhere:

- when login depends on LDAP or similiar network-based method
- when homes need to be mounted first via some network fs

Of course it doesn't break anything, just makes this procedure pointless.

For me being able to login as normal user during boot is not very important
(desktop is running almost without turning off, laptop is suspended/hibernated)

Really useful might be possibility of root login - in case something made boot
procedure hang (mostly because of errors in configuration or unavailability
of resources - NFS for example) and you have disabled ctrl+alt+del... a kind of
emergency console, possibly together with some serial line terinal.

It is good to be aware of such possibility.
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Microsoft is not the answer, Microsoft is the question, the answer is no.
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ExZombie
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Joined: 29 May 2004
Posts: 170

PostPosted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 6:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

smerf wrote:
Really useful might be possibility of root login - in case something made boot
procedure hang (mostly because of errors in configuration or unavailability
of resources - NFS for example) and you have disabled ctrl+alt+del... a kind of
emergency console, possibly together with some serial line terinal.


Sure, just tell getty to use a serial port:
Code:
s1:12345:respawn:/sbin/agetty -h -L -w ttyS0 115200 vt102


You'll still want to put it before the runlevel, so parent's advice still holds.

Gentoo also supports "interactive" booting, which enables you to access root shell. Just type 'i'.
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