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inittab(4)							    inittab(4)

NAME
       inittab - Controls the initialization process

SYNOPSIS
       /etc/inittab

DESCRIPTION
       The inittab file provides the init program with instructions for creat‐
       ing and running initialization processes.  The init program  reads  the
       inittab	file  each  time  init is invoked. The file typically contains
       instructions for the default initialization, the creation  and  control
       of  processes  at each run level, and the getty command, which controls
       the activation of terminal lines.

       Each line in the inittab file contains an entry that has	 four  fields;
       each  field is separated by a colon. There is no limit to the number of
       entries in the inittab file. The entry syntax is	 as  follows:  Identi‐
       fier:Runlevel:Action:Command

       Specifies  a  fourteen  character  field	 used  to uniquely identify an
       object.	Specifies a twenty character field that defines the run levels
       in which the object is to be processed.	Runlevel corresponds to a con‐
       figuration of processes in a system.  Each process spawned by the  init
       command	is  assigned  one or more run levels in which it is allowed to
       exist.  The run levels are as follows: Specifies the halt state.	 Spec‐
       ifies  multiuser	 state	without network services.  Specifies multiuser
       state with network services.  Specifies single-user state.

	      You can define multiple run levels for a process	by  specifying
	      more than one run level character in any combination.  Specifies
	      a twenty character field that tells init how to treat the speci‐
	      fied  process.   init  recognizes	 the  following Action values:
	      Specifies that if the process does not exist or if it dies, init
	      starts it.  If the process exists, init continues to process the
	      inittab file.  Specifies that if init enters a  run  level  that
	      matches  the  run	 level specified in the inittab file entry, it
	      starts the process and waits for its termination.	  As  long  as
	      init  continues in this run level, it does not act on subsequent
	      reads of the entry in the inittab file.  Specifies that if  init
	      enters  a	 run level that matches the run level specified in the
	      inittab file, it starts the process and does not	wait  for  its
	      termination.   When the process stops, init does not restart it.
	      If init enters a new run level where the process is  still  run‐
	      ning  from a previous runlevel change, init does not restart the
	      process.	Specifies that when init first executes and reads  the
	      inittab  file,  it processes this entry. The init program starts
	      the process and does not wait for its  termination.    When  the
	      process stops, init does not restart it. The run level specified
	      in this inittab file entry should be the default run  level,  or
	      it must match the run level in which init operates at boot time.
	      Specifies that when init first executes and  reads  the  inittab
	      file,  it	 processes  this inittab file entry.  The init program
	      starts the process, waits for its termination and, when it dies,
	      does  not	 restart  the  process.	  (This	 value exists only for
	      SVID3/SVR4 compatibility.) Specifies that if init	 receives  the
	      SIGPWR  power  fail  signal,  it executes the process associated
	      with this line.  (This value exists only for SVID3/SVR4 compati‐
	      bility.)	Specifies  that if init receives the SIGPWR power fail
	      signal, it executes the process associated with  this  line  and
	      waits  until the process terminates before continuing processing
	      the inittab file.	 Specifies that if the process associated with
	      this  line  is  currently running, init sends the warning signal
	      SIGTERM and waits 20 seconds  before  sending  the  kill	signal
	      SIGKILL.	 If  the  process  does not existent, init ignores the
	      inittab entry.  Specifies that a line with this action  is  pro‐
	      cessed  when  init is originally invoked.	 The init program uses
	      this line to determine the run level  to	enter  originally.  It
	      determines this by taking the highest run level specified in the
	      run level field and using that as its initial state.  If the run
	      level  field is empty, this is interpreted as 0s23, causing init
	      to enter run level 3.  If init  does  not	 find  an  initdefault
	      entry in the inittab file, it requests an initial run level from
	      the operator.  Specifies that entries of this type are  executed
	      before init tries to access the console. This inittab file entry
	      should be used only to initialize devices on  which  init	 could
	      attempt  to  request  a  run  level.  Specifies a 1024 character
	      field that contains the sh command to be executed.  The  command
	      is  prefixed  with exec.	Any legitimate sh syntax can appear in
	      the command field. Comments can be inserted be specifying a num‐
	      ber sign (#). The line continuation character \ can be placed at
	      the end of a line.

EXAMPLES
       The following is an example of an inittab file  entry  for  a  terminal
       line:

       tty01:23:respawn:/usr/sbin/getty /dev/tty08 9600 vt100

FILES
       Specifies the command that initializes and controls terminal lines.

SEE ALSO
       Commands: init(8), getty(8)

       Functions: kill(2)

								    inittab(4)
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