Bug#375388: [Pkg-alsa-devel] Bug#375388: More info about alsa-utils incorrect boot order using reportbug

[Carlos Villegas]

Elimar Riesebieter wrote:
> I can not figure out a bug or something else here?
> 
> ### BEGIN INIT INFO
> #..
> ### END INIT INFO
> 
> is realy only an INFO. But I can not identify the reason for this
> comments at the moment (:

This information has the purpose of informing when should this script be 
started/stopped. In this way, the correct order of all the scripts can 
be checked to find any problems at the boot time. It could also be 
useful for the parallelization of the boot process as it could be 
possible to know which processes can be executed in parallel.

Currently, there is at least one debian package that uses this 
information: insserv, and we are working on a project to improve the 
debian boot process that would use this standard information (which is 
supposed to be used but hasn't).
http://initscripts-ng.alioth.debian.org/soc2006-bootsystem/

Coming back to alsa-utils case, the bug reported was related to the 
service required. According to the current information in the init script:

### BEGIN INIT INFO
# Required-Start:    $syslog $remote_fs
# Required-Stop:     $syslog $remote_fs
# Default-Start:     S
# Default-Stop       0 6
# Short-Description: Restore and store ALSA driver settings
### END INIT INFO

it says that alsa-utils would require $syslog and $remote_fs to start. 
If this is true we have a problem as alsa-utils starts before sysklogd 
which provides the $syslog service. If alsa-utils doesn't require the 
syslog then it should be removed or changed. On the other side in a 
previous mail you mentioned that the only assumption was that /var 
should be mounted. Then probably it just requires the local filesystem 
($local_fs) and not $remote_fs.

I would propose to change the current init info as follows (considering 
that alsa-utils requires $syslog and $remote_fs) as sysklog is in

### BEGIN INIT INFO
# Provides:          alsa-utils
# Required-Start:    $syslog $remote_fs
# Required-Stop:     $syslog $remote_fs
# Default-Start:     2 3 4 5
# Default-Stop       0 1 6
# Short-Description: Restore and store ALSA driver settings
# Description:       This script stores and restores mixer levels
# 		     on shutdown and bootup.
### END INIT INFO

> But anyway, do you have problems running sound applications using
> alsa?

no, i have no problems running it but I don't how alsa-utils works and 
why it would or wouldn't require the system log to be started ($syslog).

cheers

Carlos