>>start/stop scripts at all.  But we probably wouldn't be having this thread 
>>with the init.d model since you can customize the S*foo scripts all you like 
>>without needing to be hurt by an update to init.d/*

>no, you can't, since the connection from (for example)
>/etc/rc2.d/S47thing to /etc/init.d/thing is either one of a symbolic
>link (which means that an upgrade will toast your changes) or a hard
>link (which means that an upgrade will either toast your changes or

Or a copy - in which case you are golden.  There is nothing that stops 
you from making a rc.d/S47thing that does:

SET_SOME_VARS
. ../init.d/thing

I've been using the sysV style start/stop scripts on BSD etc for many years.
The only thing I wish I'd done differently was start out using 3 or more
digits to control the sequencing.

--sjg