Configuring what services start at boot time
From MEPIS Documentation Wiki
Introduction
A runlevel is a group of activities, bound together by a numbered runlevel. Each runlevel corresponds to links in the directories /etc/rc.d/rc#.d/ where # is a number from 0 to 6. These directories contain a series of scripts to start specific processes which may be more or less than other runlevels. This allows the system to have a set of very distinct operating environments – in contrast to the common legacy OS with its simple pair of safe and normal modes.
Runlevel editors
- GUI for editing the runlevels: install KSysV with apt-get:
apt-get install ksysv
- Terminal utility:
apt-get install sysv-rc-conf
Or use update-rc.d directly:
update-rc.d servicename remove
-- or --
update-rc.d servicename defaults
For more info about update-rc.d type: "man update-rc.d"
Additional info about Linux runlevels
Mepis boots up by executing the program init. After completing the boot process, init executes all start scripts in a directory specified by the default runlevel (this runlevel is given by the entry for id in /etc/inittab). Like most System V compatible Unices, Linux has 7 runlevels:
| Rulevel | Description |
|---|---|
| 0 | Halt (power down) |
| 1 | Single-user mode: provides a root console without logon. Useful if you lose your root password |
| 2 | Multiuser with no network |
| 3 | Console logon, no X (i.e. no GUI) |
| 4 | Not used/custom |
| 5 | Default GUI logon |
| 6 | Reboot |
You can boot to a runlevel by adding its number at the end of the cheatcodes at the bottom of the GRUB screen. MEPIS defaults to runlevel 5, therefore all the script setup in level 5 will run at boot.
See also Starting/Stopping a service.
