[Resolvconf-devel] Bug#494084: netbase: Add boot order dependency on resolvconf?

[Thomas Hood]

Hi Petter, I have a question for you.


Magnus Therning wrote in #494084:
 > So I'd suggest the init info in `/etc/init.d/networking` is modified so
 > that resolvconf is started first.
 >[...]
 >  # Required-Start:    mountkernfs ifupdown resolvconf $local_fs
 >  # Required-Stop:     ifupdown $local_fs


Marco d'Itri asked:
> Is this a good idea?


I think that the answer is No.

In the traditional ordinal-based init system, /etc/init.d/resolvconf runs
in runlevel S at S38, ifupdown at S39 and networking at S40;
in runlevels 0 and 6 resolvconf runs at K89, networking at S35, ifupdown at S36.
This order should be reproduced in the dependency-based system, taking into account,
of course, that resolvconf is a Priority: optional package whereas ifupdown and netbase
are Priority: important.

To take the opionality of resolvconf into account, one could use Should-Start instead
of Required-Start.  Thus /etc/init.d/networking would have:

   ### BEGIN INIT INFO
   # Provides:          networking
   # Required-Start:    mountkernfs ifupdown $local_fs
   # Required-Stop:     ifupdown $local_fs
   # Should-Start:      resolvconf
   # Should-Stop:       resolvconf
   # Default-Start:     S
   # Default-Stop:      0 6
   # Short-Description: Raise network interfaces.
   ### END INIT INFO

AIUI an alternative would be for /etc/init.d/resolvconf to contain:

   # X-Start-Before:    networking

I suspect that the latter is better.  Petter, what do you think?
-- 
Thomas Hood