init managed or rc script managed services

[pll at lanminds.com]

In a message dated: Thu, 23 Jan 2003 15:20:54 EST
Marc Evans said:

>OK, fair enough answers. Thank you. Can I ask if your opinion changes if
>the system in use was an appliance, e.g. you as the owner don't know that
>Linux is on the inside unless you go out of your way to try to discover
>it? In other words, no sysadmin will ever see the contents of the inittab
>or rc scripts, nor be able to influance them, other then to perform a
>firmware upgrade to the appliance?

No, I'd say the opinions expressed by Tom (which are held by me as well)
remain the same.  In this case though, it's not the end user who 
might care, but the Customer Service people, the Sales Engineers, and 
the QA team.

Consistency is, above all else, the key component in ease of 
administration.  If you scatter some things in init.d and others in 
rc.local, and still others in inittab, then you're being 
inconsistent, duplicating effort, and increasing the chance of error.

Pick one and stick with it.  Stray only when there is no possible 
means to accomplish your task by staying consistent.

Your CS, SE, and QA people will thank you for consistency, it will 
make their jobs easier, thereby lessening frustration, and increasing 
productivity.  All of which, in the long term, hopefully contribute 
to an increased revenue!
-- 

Seeya,
Paul
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