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Re: pkgsrc RC scripts



Robert Elz wrote:
  | (1) Install pkgsrc RC scripts by default into /etc/rc.pkg.d, not
  | /etc/rc.d and adjust the default value for rc_directories accordingly.
  | This keeps the logical separation between base and pkgsrc RC scripts

That's not a desirable goal.  One directory of rc scripts makes sense,
multiple directories of rc scripts just leads to even more directories of
rc scripts, so as to "keep logical separation" -

I agree completely. If I tried telling some of my colleagues that there were now two directories that rc scripts might be in, and there is no way to tell which scripts belong in which directory, they would tell me exactly where to go. Not only do you need a complete knowledge of either pkgsrc packages or the base rc scripts to know where the quagga startup script is installed, but for some software such as web servers you have to know whether it's the NetBSD httpd, or one of the many pkgsrc httpds. Many people on these mailing lists won't have a problem with this, but you shouldn't have to be a genius to administer NetBSD.

You also run the risk of people thinking that the directories of rc scripts are run at different points in time just like SVR4 rc directories.

The first thing I thought when the /etc/rc.d directory was created was "Good. Now we have the rc order calculated at boot time and everything is in one place. None of this crazy mess like SVR4 and Linux." Nice and simple.

The pkgsrc system manages adding and removing shells, users and groups well. It can handle rc scripts in /etc/rc.d just as well.

  | (2) Provide a default value of NO for the control variables. This
  | ensures that no stupid "Missing variable $foo" clutters up the boot
  | messages.

This half is entirely reasonable,

I agree. If rc.subr is simply updated to default to NO, then all those annoying messages go away and everyone is happy.

Cheers,
Lloyd




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