Re: hurd-init
On Fri, Aug 11, 2000 at 04:13:12AM +0200, Tomasz Wegrzanowski wrote:
> On Thu, Aug 10, 2000 at 02:20:39PM +0200, Marcus Brinkmann wrote:
> > On Thu, Aug 10, 2000 at 07:34:13AM +0200, Tomasz Wegrzanowski wrote:
> > > Here is the challenge : imho service manager (a.k.a. maybe-GNU init)
> > > should be used to start / stop ppp links, mount devices,
> >
> > Nonononono! We have passive translators do to exactly that!
>
> Passive translators are not at all answer to question of stopping
> services to release resources.
> Ok, 'service start floppy' and 'mount /mnt/floppy' might not be needed if
> /mnt/floppy will mount on demand (easy), even 'service start ppp' or 'pon' might
> be not needed if /dev/ppp0 will be started on demand (harded),
> but there is currently no alternative to 'umount' and 'poff'
> (connection paid-by-minute, remember ?) and service manager might really clean up
> things plus provide common interface.
Of course there is. You just haven't looked close enough.
(Two hints: umount -> settrans -ag
stop service -> "Notifying ext2fs/pfinet/isofs of shutdown")
And pon is not really part of any init script, so this is a red herring.
> > The need for init scripts should be comparatively small on the Hurd.
>
> /etc/init.d/nfs and friends are prietty little part of all init scripts imho.
I didn't say that there is no need for init scripts at all. Just that some
things you'd do with startup and shutdown scripts on trad. unix are better
done with translators on the Hurd.
> There are also non-translators services like all UNIX daemons, misc fixing scripts
> (like clock sync) etc.
You must have noticed that some unix daemons are better implemented inside
translators on the Hurd. For example, I'd be surprised to an effort to port
the automounter to the Hurd :)
> Also, general service manager wolud be much more useful if could run also on GNU/Linux.
"general service manager" is a little vague, isn't it? Some things are less
useful for everybody if they are done portable. Other things are less useful
if they are specific to an operating system. This is something that needs to
be decided on a case by case base.
However, not taking advantage of the translator concept in the Hurd is like
throwing it away. We don't need the Hurd if we don't further its main
advantages, we could just improve and use linux.
Thanks,
Marcus
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