According to Ty Sarna:

>In article <199512200421.UAA06829@toccata.fugue.com>,
>Ted Lemon  <mellon@fugue.com> wrote:
>> 
>> Whenever a change is made to /etc/localconfig, a program called
>> /usr/sbin/genrc is run to generate a new /etc/rc.  This /etc/rc is
>> completely machine generated, but contains the config-file blurb for
>[...]

>I like this by far the best of anything suggested.  It seems to provide
>the best of most worlds, and should be sufficient to satisfy the
>edit-rc-by-hand people as well (just quit running genrc, or genrc to a
>different file and cdiff the two to see what changed, and wether that's
>what you want to do).  The only thing that needs more thought is
>shutdown.  Probably config files should specify how to create the

It's pretty close to what I (and a couple of others) have suggested.

As for shutdown processing, given a list of dependent packages for each
component, it should be as easy to generate a shutdown procedure, as
it is to generate an rc from the same information.

A pkg* utility set can also grok dependencies and warn you if you are
about to remove a package required by others, or advise if a component
is missing.

Actual implemetation details could include /etc/rc.d or similar for
holding the pointers to package definitions. Each package would require
at least a definition of other packages required for operation, a
procedure to start the package, and one to shut it down. [Help files
should of course always be available.]

Once again, a pkg* utility can easily exercise the relevant functions,
noting any dependencies, regardless of run-level change, without the
administrator requiring intimate knowledge of the package.

>Is this enough to satisfy most people? Can everyone live with this?
>Can't we all just get along(tm)?

Of course!

-- 
Bernd Felsche {speaking for himself}
MetaPro Systems Pty Ltd, 130 Fauntleroy Avenue,
Redcliffe, Western Australia 6104
Phone: +61 9 479 3722    Fax: +61 9 479 3720