'''Concrete implementation discussion based on the DebCamp BoF moved to MetaInit'''

= Init Hackfest =

I (ErichSchubert) propose that we should do a HackFest some time after Etch was released, to update our init stuff.

Debian ships with a couple of init systems, e.g.
 * sysvinit
 * initng
 * minit (maintained again)
 * upstart
 * runit
 * einit (not yet packaged, focus on embedded systems)

Other closely related programs include:
 * monit
 * logrotate
 * logcheck
 * SELinux
 * cron
 * daemontools (we all love djb, don't we?)

However, out of these only sysvinit is really supported (others work only in a compability mode, taking away many of their benefits).

Therefore it's proposed to do a "Init hackfest"; either face-to-face or via IRC (or both) with the aim of adding full support to most of these init systems to Debian. (And to monitoring systems such as monit.)

== Proposed schedule: ==
 1. get the maintainers/authors of the relevant packages together to write up requirements
 2. from these requirements, derive a migration document (think of the Python policy documents)
 3. supply appropriate tool changes, e.g. updating invoke-rc.d, update-rc.d
 4. update *init packages to be able to 'compile' an init script for their config scheme from the meta-init-script
 5. do a hackfest to fix as many packages as possible in a sprint (it's easier if only a few people have to dig into how to convert an init script to the meta-init-script format). Supply patches to the maintainers and do 7-day NMUs
 6. 7 days later, the NMUs will go in.

== Random notes: ==

Shipping meta-init-scripts allows other init systems to be added (or bugs fixed with them) without having to NMU all other packages again. We just need to get the meta-init format right in the first go... maybe it's also easier to continue shipping packages with a sysvinit script and the meta-init script for upgrade purposes, and schedule the removal of the sysvinit scripts for lenny+1.

For those who like something a bit more concrete - how do we stop something like
[[http://bugs.debian.org/400952|#400952]] from happening?

Please check the discussions on the initscripts-ng mailing list: http://lists.alioth.debian.org/mailman/listinfo/initscripts-ng-devel

== Participants: ==

 * ErichSchubert
 * FranzPletz
 * [[madduck]] (with limited time)
 * MichaelBiebl
 * ToOts
 * PhilippKern (would be interested to participate)
 * BrandonHoltsclaw (would be interested to participate)
 * JanHülsbergen (would also be interested to participate)
 * [[nomeata]] (depends on time. Maybe face2face hacking with Philipp here in Karlsruhe...)
 * SvenMueller (limited time, but definitely interested)
 * LinuxWiki:HelmutGrohne
 * GunnarWolf (would be interested to participate. Requested a BoF on Debcamp for this)
 * JoseParrella (won't arrive until DebConf itself but interested)