Runparts & /etc/rc.local

At the end of the boot, when all bootstrap (S) tasks and services have started, but not networking, Finit calls its built-in run-parts(8) command on any configured runparts <DIR> directory. This happens just before changing to the configured runlevel (default 2). (Networking is enabled just prior to changing from single user mode.)

runparts /etc/rc.d/

Right after the runlevel change when all services have started properly, /etc/rc.local is called.

No configuration stanza in /etc/finit.conf is required for rc.local. If it exists and is an executable shell script Finit calls it at the very end of the boot, before calling the HOOK_SYSTEM_UP. See more in the Hook Scripts section.

Limitations

It is not possible to call Finit via signals or use initctl in any runparts or /etc/rc.local script. This because Finit is single threaded and is calling these scripts in a blocking fashion at the end of runlevel S, at which point the event loop has not yet been started.

The event loop is the whole thing which Finit is built around, except for runlevel S, which remains a slow procession through a lot of set up, with a few hooks and blocking call outs to external scripts.

However, not all initctl commands are prohibited. Supported commands:

• initctl cond: only operate on files in /run/finit/cond
• initctl enable/disable: enabled run/task/service is activated on the runlevel change from S to 2
• initctl touch/show/create/delete/list: create, provided the non-interactive mode is used, again changes take effect in the runlevel change directly after bootstrap
• initctl -f reboot/poweroff/halt: provided the -f flag is used to force direct kernel commands

Tip

you can set a usr/ condition in /etc/rc.local and have a service/task in runlevel 2 depend on it to execute.