On Sat, 29 Jan 2000 18:48:39 -0500 Chris McDonough <chrism@digicool.com> wrote:

Robert, I think SuSE uses System V-type RC stuff (e.g. it has /etc/rc.d, /etc/rc.d/rc3.d, /etc/rc.d/rc5.d, etc.) Though I might be wrong about the location of the rc.d directory for SuSE (sometimes LInux vendors put the rc.d directory in /sbin).

SuSe uses /sbin/rc*. RedHat uses /etc/rc/rc*. Debian uses the SysV cannonical /etc/rc* as does PHT, Caldera, and Corel AIR.

Use this to create a new rc script in rc.d/init.d/zope or somesuch then use a symbolic link to it in rc.d/rc3.d and rc.d/rc5.d.

Depending on distribution there are tools like chkconfig under RH, or update-rc.d for Debian which make the symlink process easy and self-documenting, automatically creating all the correct kill and start links in one command

*Or*............. just use Windows if you'd rather not be bothered with the learning curve on these kinds of issues.

<shudder> In all seriousness that's hardly a valid option in a great many cases, and even more hardly a valid excuse as the learning curve is neither large or complex. Given the numerous init scripts in a standard installation which can be used as working examples, and the fairly obvious documentation on what runlevels are at the top of (most Linux) /etc/inittab or the init manpage, the learning curve for someone who either knows or is about to know Python is not significant.

I'm serious. It can take a tremendous amount of time to understand just how the runlevel environment works in any UNIX.

In working with Windows refugees and those new to computing I've normally found I can cover the area enough to give them a working knowledge, eough to understand the base concepts of runlevels and how and when they might need to use them in their use of the system, in about 10 - 20 minutes (depending on how many Window based assumptions needs to be unlearned first). This is starting with someone from ground zero -- no prior knowledge. With Zope we can make more useful assumtions: that the person has both some technical interest and ability, that he has some basic programming experience or interest and thus understands at least the basic concepts of process flow control, and simple scripting. Given those not insignificant head starts, figuring out runlevels should really only be a matter of a few minutes.

For a newbie, the *nix/Zope combination requires a serious time investment.

In the Debain world installing Zope is a trivial as: # apt-get install zope and waiting a couple minutes while its sucked off the network and installed (there are a couple config prompts along the wang, but nothing confusing). The Debian Zope pakcage maintainer (who I belive is on this list) has both done a good job, and is responsive to questions. For Redhat systems I'm told that there are RPMs available which install equally if not more trivially. As I no longer run any RH systems I can't verify this however. -- J C Lawrence Home: claw@kanga.nu ----------(*) Other: coder@kanga.nu --=| A man is as sane as he is dangerous to his environment |=--