Update inittab docs

2 files changed, 73 insertions, 17 deletions

diff --git a/docs/busybox.pod b/docs/busybox.pod
index 9b92d1981..2ddacd152 100644
--- a/docs/busybox.pod
+++ b/docs/busybox.pod
@@ -900,13 +900,37 @@ If you choose to use an /etc/inittab file, the inittab entry format is as follow
                 Valid actions include: sysinit, respawn, askfirst, wait, 
                 once, and ctrlaltdel.
 
-                askfirst acts just like respawn, but before running the specified
-                process it displays the line "Please press Enter to activate this
-                console." and then waits for the user to press enter before starting
-                the specified process.
 
-                Unrecognized actions (like initdefault) will cause init to emit
-                an error message, and then go along with its business.
+                The available actions can be classified into two groups: actions
+                that are run only once, and actions that are re-run when the specified
+                process exits.
+
+                Run only-once actions:
+
+                        'sysinit' is the first item run on boot.  init waits until all
+                        sysinit actions are completed before continuing.  Following the
+                        completion of all sysinit actions, all 'wait' actions are run.
+                        'wait' actions, like  'sysinit' actions, cause init to wait until
+                        the specified task completes.  'once' actions are asyncronous,
+                        therefore, init does not wait for them to complete.  'ctrlaltdel'
+                        actions are run immediately before init causes the system to reboot
+                        (unmounting filesystems with a 'ctrlaltdel' action is a very good
+                        idea).
+
+                Run repeatedly actions:
+
+                        'respawn' actions are run after the 'once' actions.  When a process
+                        started with a 'respawn' action exits, init automatically restarts
+                        it.  Unlike sysvinit, BusyBox init does not stop processes from
+                        respawning out of control.  The 'askfirst' actions acts just like
+                        respawn, except that before running the specified process it
+                        displays the line "Please press Enter to activate this console."
+                        and then waits for the user to press enter before starting the
+                        specified process.  
+
+                Unrecognized actions (like initdefault) will cause init to emit an
+                error message, and then go along with its business.  All actions are
+                run in the reverse order from how they appear in /etc/inittab.
 
         <process>: 
 
@@ -2262,4 +2286,4 @@ Enrique Zanardi <ezanardi@ull.es>
 
 =cut
 
-# $Id: busybox.pod,v 1.78 2000/12/08 19:52:01 andersen Exp $
+# $Id: busybox.pod,v 1.79 2000/12/08 20:38:00 andersen Exp $
diff --git a/docs/busybox.sgml b/docs/busybox.sgml
index 1542337dd..184814125 100644
--- a/docs/busybox.sgml
+++ b/docs/busybox.sgml
@@ -1538,24 +1538,56 @@
                 <sect2>
                     <title>action</title>
 
+
+                        <para>
+                        Valid actions include: sysinit, respawn, askfirst, wait, 
+                        once, and ctrlaltdel.
+                        </para>
+
+
+                        <para>
+                        The available actions can be classified into two groups: actions
+                        that are run only once, and actions that are re-run when the specified
+                        process exits.
+                        </para>
+
                         <para>
-                        Valid actions include: sysinit, respawn,
-                        askfirst, wait, once, and ctrlaltdel.
+                        Run only-once actions:
                         </para>
 
                         <para>
-                        askfirst acts just like respawn, but before
-                        running the specified process it displays the
-                        line "Please press Enter to activate this
-                        console." and then waits for the user to press
-                        enter before starting the specified process.
+                        'sysinit' is the first item run on boot.  init waits until all
+                        sysinit actions are completed before continuing.  Following the
+                        completion of all sysinit actions, all 'wait' actions are run.
+                        'wait' actions, like  'sysinit' actions, cause init to wait until
+                        the specified task completes.  'once' actions are asyncronous,
+                        therefore, init does not wait for them to complete.  'ctrlaltdel'
+                        actions are run immediately before init causes the system to reboot
+                        (unmounting filesystems with a 'ctrlaltdel' action is a very good
+                         idea).
                         </para>
 
                         <para>
-                        Unrecognized actions (like initdefault) will
-                        cause init to emit an error message, and then go
-                        along with its business.
+                        Run repeatedly actions:
                         </para>
+
+                        <para>
+                        'respawn' actions are run after the 'once' actions.  When a process
+                        started with a 'respawn' action exits, init automatically restarts
+                        it.  Unlike sysvinit, BusyBox init does not stop processes from
+                        respawning out of control.  The 'askfirst' actions acts just like
+                        respawn, except that before running the specified process it
+                        displays the line "Please press Enter to activate this console."
+                        and then waits for the user to press enter before starting the
+                        specified process.  
+                        </para>
+
+                        <para>
+                        Unrecognized actions (like initdefault) will cause init to emit an
+                        error message, and then go along with its business.  All actions are
+                        run in the reverse order from how they appear in /etc/inittab.
+                        </para>
+
                 </sect2>
 
                 <sect2>