[SLUG] Re: slug Digest, Vol 7, Issue 50

[jam@xxxxxxxxx]

On Sunday 27 August 2006 06:16, slug-request@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
> > As an arch bemoaner I think that you have rather succinctly made the
> > point. I agree, my frustration is that so many really clever things have
> > been dumbed-down and thereby lose the attributes that are not commonly
> > used, but are so very important in a few situations (eg to hand: run
> > level 2 vs 3, 5 and shock-horror-gasp 4)
>
> Debian's always had support for different runlevels. It's been sitting
> around in init since forever.
>
> But why on earth do you actually need them?

OK step 1 I'm not running a home desktop no frills machine. Here are some 
answers:

To build the NVIDIA drivers you must be in level 3 (no X) then to run them you 
must be in level 5

[ so why not download them ? <sigh> I make a custom kernel eg bugs in DVICO 
dvb driver ((kernel uses the wrong tuner for my card)), lable my kernel 
something-unique and I HAVE to build the drivers to have them work ]

On my PointOfSale systems 
level 5 means X admin (menu's etc, end of day accounts, etc etc) but no 
ordertaker terminals can run (or they'd screw up the rest)
level 4 means order takers, but no admin

The customer can't tie the system in knots by accident, either a or b the end.

I'm fiddling with mythtv, graphics drivers, [gk]dm etc. The family are using 
the internet on their machines. telinit 3, telinit 5 lets me play on  the 
gateway machine without impacting them. [the gateway is the only machine on 
24/7 so mythtv is logically hosted there]

All the examples can be achieved other ways. Runlevels just make it really 
simple and easy. Sure you can put runlevels back.
I'm seriously looking at running the POS stuff on ubuntu. I'd need to do quite 
a lot of work to make it suitable. Apply to 1000s systems and that's a lot of 
work.

QED James