Baslinux mailing list

[James Miller <jamtat AT mailsnare.net>]

On Fri, 20 Feb 2004, Anthony J. Albert wrote:

> On 20 Feb 2004 at 9:53, Nguyen The Luan wrote:

> >In other words, How to change Linux system from multiuser, multitasking to
> >single user multitasking system.
<snip>
>
> You can change to a single-user system, though, if you really want to.
> Most Linux allow you to set the runlevel, usually in /etc/inittab .
> Editing the line:
>       id:3:initdefault:
> to have an "S" or a "1" instead of a "3" will likely bring your system
> up in single-user mode, after rebooting.
>
> Don't know if everything will work, though, as many programs are only
> set to run at certain bootlevels.

Certain daemons that could be critical to system function are actually set
up as "virtual" users, aren't they (e.g., bin, sync, lp on the system I'm
sitting at now)?  If so, I'd think the system might not run at all in
single-user mode - assuming that single-user means no other users, real or
virtual, can be logged in and running at the same time.  I don't know from
experience that: 1) all such virtual user daemons are critical to system
operation; 2) running in single-user mode prevents such virtual users from
operating - but those are some possible obstacles to trying to run Linux
in single-user mode.

James