[Wylug-help] Startup

[Jim Jackson]

On Mon, 22 Dec 2003, Idris Fulat wrote:

> Hello people, any idea how to view startup items on RH9 using KDE.
> Basically to find out what starts up when the machine boots up etc.
> Would it aslo be possible to do it via a GUI or is that being a bit
> naive?

Sorry but can't help you with a GUI answer.
But knowing how your OS starts up is very important - even for windows
users.

RedHat uses a slightly modified Unix System V init type system.
It initially looks horrendously complicated, but is very flexible and
versatile.

Your system comes up in one of several pre-set configurations, called
run-levels. These are defined in the file /etc/inittab

typically run-levels in redhat are

 0 - stop
 1 or S single user
 2 multiuser no network, or X running
 3 multiuser with network but no X
 4 spare ?????
 5 multiuser with network and with X
 6 reboot

Script for starting and stopping the various services are in

 /etc/rc.d/init.d

and the scripts there can be used to manually stop start restart services.

For each run level there is a directory

 /etc/rc.d/rc[0-6].d

In these directories are symbolic links of the form...

 K24irda  -> ../init.d/irda

or

 S90crond -> ../init.d/crond

They are links to the start/stop scripts. The startup process when
entering a run-level, will execute all the links starting with "S", in
order, with a command line parameter "start". And when shutting down or
leaving a run level it will execute all the links starting with "K", in
order, with the command line parameters "stop".

You can mnaually make these links and remove them to customise your
startup, but I wouldn't advise it.

There is a command line utility called chkconfig - it has a man page.
A good start is

 chkconfig --list

which will show you what is configured on and off for each run-level.
Most desktop RedHats come up in run level 5 so check that column for what
is configured to startup.

You can use chkconfig to switch automatic startup of services off and on,
you can add new services, and remove them.

Hope that helps.
Jim