init backgrounding - what is it ?

N1ckR · 2007-05-30 13:31:38

I am just trying to get to grips with the init system of Arch (I am used to the sysv method).
I have seen the word "backgrounding" mentioned a few times, but cannot find a reference to what it actually does, so would be interested in a quick explanation.

Cheers, Nick

IsSuE · 2007-05-30 13:52:05

afaik backgrounding a daemon simply starts it during others start. It looks like the daemon gets skipped, but the daemon starts, the init just doesnt wait for it to finish.

Cerebral · 2007-05-30 14:39:36

Basically, with our init, daemons are specified in an array in rc.conf as such:

DAEMONS=(syslog-ng cups alsa)

To background one, you stick an @ just before the name:

DAEMONS=(syslog-ng @cups @alsa)

This will cause the daemon start script to run in the background (equivalent of running '/etc/rc.d/cups start &') and not wait to see if the daemon successfully started. Generally this is done with non-critical daemons, or daemons that aren't a dependency of another daemon, to speed up boot-time

ataraxia · 2007-05-30 15:34:41

Some daemons don't work for me if I do this - hal, fam, and cups among them. All complained of not being able to bind to a privileged socket (as if they weren't being run by root, which is mysterious to me). I put them back to foreground and forgot about it... I wonder if this is worth a bug report.

N1ckR · 2007-05-31 10:28:43

Cheers guys.

Cerebral · 2007-05-31 12:51:44

Actually, now that you mention it, ataraxia, I remember having that problem with cups too, and un-backgrounding it. Just for reference, here's my current array:

DAEMONS=(syslog-ng network dbus hal cups @spamd @sensors @clamav @netfs @crond @samba @alsa @ntpdate @archstatsrc)

dejitarob · 2007-05-31 19:54:31

I'm able to run cups fine in the background:

DAEMONS=(!syslog-ng @network @dbus @hal @crond @acpid @alsa !powersaved @cpufreq @hplip @cups kdm !dhcdbd !networkmanager)

Arch Linux

#1 2007-05-30 13:31:38

init backgrounding - what is it ?

#2 2007-05-30 13:52:05

Re: init backgrounding - what is it ?

#3 2007-05-30 14:39:36

Re: init backgrounding - what is it ?

#4 2007-05-30 15:34:41

Re: init backgrounding - what is it ?

#5 2007-05-31 10:28:43

Re: init backgrounding - what is it ?

#6 2007-05-31 12:51:44

Re: init backgrounding - what is it ?

#7 2007-05-31 19:54:31

Re: init backgrounding - what is it ?

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