[Info-vax] UNIX/Linux features I wish VMS had

[Neil Rieck]

Some people reading this will not know that UNIX/Linux systems (depending upon the flavour) have up to 6 run levels which can be seen in this brief overview:

https://linuxonfire.wordpress.com/2012/10/19/what-are-init-0-init-1-init-2-init-3-init-4-init-5-init-6-2/

(on our Solaris systems "level = 3" means "fully running")

So to partially close a system running at level 3, the sys admin need only type "init 1". This causes the execution of series of KILL scripts which will terminate processes associated with levels 3 then 2 but not one.
 
To go to single user mtce mode the sys admin will type "init s"
To shutdown the sys admin can type either "shutdown" or "init 0"
You can also boot to any level including "s".
 
Contrast this to VMS where you need to do a conversational boot then edit certain params to prevent the startup scripts from running.
 
Neil Rieck
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
http://www3.sympatico.ca/n.rieck/