An analysis of Solaris 8 Startup Files (/etc/init.d,/etc/rcX.d)

inetd.conf
This file specifies which ports the inetd daemon will listen for. You eliminate uneccessary services by commenting them out. There are many web tutorials on configuring the inetd.conf file.

rcX.d services
/etc/rcX.d contains startup and shutdown scripts. (The startup scripts start with "S", the shutdown with "K". The standard recommendation is to rename the uppercase S to a lowercase one. However, Jeff Campione recommends renaming files with a prefix of "NO". My friend Jeff Veiss moves files into a subdirectory called "disabled".

The following table displays each of the Solaris Startup files, where they are placed, and which distribution and package they are part of. (I left out the "K" files for brevity. A list of resources which recommend which scripts can be disabled follows):

rc directory	filename	installed with package	package description	MetaCluster	comments
rcS.d	S10cvc	SUNWcvcr	Network Console daemon and rc script	SUNWCXall	For E10000?
	S10initpcmcia	SUNWpcmci	PCMCIA Card Services, (Root)	SUNWCreq	Initialize pcmcia cards
	S15initpcihpc	SUNWcsr	Core Solaris, (Root)	SUNWCreq	??
	S30network.sh	SUNWcsr	Core Solaris, (Root)	SUNWCreq	start up networking; plumb each interface
	S30rootusr.sh	SUNWcsr	Core Solaris, (Root)	SUNWCreq	does configuration needed to mount /usr via nfs
	S33keymap.sh	SUNWcsr	Core Solaris, (Root)	SUNWCreq	loads keyboard mappings and initializes keyboard defaults
	S35cacheos.sh	SUNWcsr	Core Solaris, (Root)	SUNWCreq	configure devices before setting up cache disk
	S40standardmounts.sh	SUNWcsr	Core Solaris, (Root)	SUNWCreq	mount /usr, /usr/platform, etc
	S41cachefs.root	SUNWcsr	Core Solaris, (Root)	SUNWCreq	if root is cachefs file system, startup cachefsd
	S42coreadm	SUNWcsr	Core Solaris, (Root)	SUNWCreq	Restore the core file configuration that was in effect before reboot.
	S42ncakmod	SUNWncar	Solaris Network and Cache Accelerator(Root)	SUNWCall	??
	S50devfsadm	SUNWcsr	Core Solaris, (Root)	SUNWCreq	configure /dev directory
	S70buildmnttab.sh	SUNWcsr	Core Solaris, (Root)	SUNWCreq	mount file systems in mnttab
	S01MOUNTFSYS	SUNWcsr	Core Solaris, (Root)	SUNWCreq	Mount all local filesystems
rc0.d?	S01MOUNTFSYS
rc1.d?	S01MOUNTFSYS
rc2.d	S01MOUNTFSYS	SUNWcsr	Core Solaris, (Root)	SUNWCreq	Mount all local filesystems
	S05RMTMPFILES	SUNWcsr	Core Solaris, (Root)	SUNWCreq	remove files in /tmp and /var/tmp
	S20sysetup	SUNWcsr	Core Solaris, (Root)	SUNWCreq	print the system configuration upon startup
	S21perf	SUNWaccr	System Accounting, (Root)	SUNWCall	enable system activity data gathering
	S30sysid.net	SUNWadmr	System & Network Administration Root	SUNWCreq	configures basic network functions
	S40llc2	SUNWllcr	LLC2 driver and its initialization programs	SUNWCuser	??
	S47asppp	SUNWapppr	PPP/IP Asynchronous PPP daemon configuration files	SUNWCall	start the PPP daemon
	S69inet	SUNWcsr	Core Solaris, (Root)	SUNWCreq	configure ip routing, the default route;domain name
	S70uucp	SUNWbnur	Networking UUCP Utilities	SUNWCall	clean up uucp lock files
	S71ldap.client	SUNWcsr	Core Solaris, (Root)	SUNWCreq	starts ldap_cachemgr
	S71rpc	SUNWcsr	Core Solaris, (Root)	SUNWCreq	start rpc
	S71sysid.sys	SUNWadmr	System & Network Administration Root	SUNWCreq	if /.UNCONFIGURED exists reconfigure the system
	S72autoinstall	SUNWadmr	System & Network Administration Root	SUNWCreq	if /.UNCONFIGURED exists reconfigure the system
	S72inetsvc	SUNWcsr	Core Solaris, (Root)	SUNWCreq	start inetd
	S72slpd	SUNWslpr	SLP, (Root)	SUNWCuser	??
	S73cachefs.daemon	SUNWcsr	Core Solaris, (Root)	SUNWCreq	starts up cachefs file systems
	S73nfs.client	SUNWcsr	Core Solaris, (Root)	SUNWCreq	start lockd and statd;mount remote file systems
	S74autofs	SUNWatfsr	System & Network Administration Root	SUNWCreq	start the automounter daemon
	S74syslog	SUNWcsr	Core Solaris, (Root)	SUNWCreq	start the system logger daemon
	S74xntpd	SUNWntpr	NTP, (Root)	SUNWCuser	startup network time protocol
	S75cron	SUNWcsr	Core Solaris, (Root)	SUNWCreq	start cron daemon
	S75flashprom	SUNWuxflr	Sun4u System FLASH PROM Update (?)	SUNWCXall	Install FLASH PROM Update for Sun4u Systems (?)
	S75savecore	SUNWcsr	Core Solaris, (Root)	SUNWCreq	save core
	S76nscd	SUNWcsr	Core Solaris, (Root)	SUNWCreq	start up the name service cache daemon
	S80lp	SUNWpsr	SunSoft Print - LP Server, (root)	SUNWCreq	start the line printer scheduler
	S80PRESERVE	SUNWcsr	save edit files in /usr/preserve	SUNWCuser	recovers data from unsaved vi sessions
	S80spc	SUNWpcr	SunSoft Print - Client, (root)	SUNWCuser	something to do with printing
	S85power	SUNWpmr	Power Management config file and rc script	SUNWCuser	power management
	S88sendmail	SUNWsndmr	Sendmail root	SUNWCreq	start sendmail
	S88utmpd	SUNWcsr	Core Solaris, (Root)	SUNWCreq	start up utmpd to clean up utmp entries
	S89bdconfig	SUNWdial	Buttons/Dials Streams Module	SUNWCall
	S90wbem	SUNWwbcor	WBEM Services (root)	SUNWCuser	??
	S91afbinit	SUNWafbr	Elite3D Device Drivers and Pipelines	SUNWCXall	For systems with Elite3D Graphics(?)
	S91ifbinit	SUNWifbr	Sun Expert3D (IFB) Graphics System Software (Root)	SUNWCXall	For systems with Elite3D Graphics(?)
	S92volmgt	SUNWvolr		SUNWCuser	start the volume management daemon
	S93cacheos.finish	SUNWcsr	Core Solaris, (Root)	SUNWCreq	??
	S94ncalogd	SUNWncar	Solaris Network and Cache Accelerator(Root)?	SUNWCall	??
	S95ncad	SUNWncar	Solaris Network and Cache Accelerator(Root)?	SUNWCall	??
	S99audit	SUNWcsr	Core Solaris, (Root)	SUNWCreq	starts up auditd
	S99dtlogin	SUNWdtlog		SUNWCuser	automatically start the CDE login window on the console
rc3.d	S15nfs.server	SUNWcsr	Core Solaris, (Root)	SUNWCreq	startup remote file sharing daemons
	S50apache	SUNWapchr	Apache Web Server (root)	SUNWCall	startup http daemon
	S76snmpdx	SUNWsacom	Solstice Enterprise Agents 1.0.3 files for root file system	SUNWCuser	startup snmp
	S77dmi	SUNWsacom	Solstice Enterprise Agents 1.0.3 files for root file system	SUNWCuser	startup snmp
	S80mipagent	"SUNWmipmr(?) or SUNWmipa"	Mobile IP mobility agent	SUNWCall?	x86 only?
rc?.d	S10init1394	SUNW1394h	IEEE 1394 Video Conferencing Support	SUNWCxall?	x86 Only?
rc?.d	S95picld	SUNWpiclr	sunfire and sunblade	SUNWCXall	Needed for thermal diagnostics?

Notes:

• The above table assumes that you've performed a standard SUNCWreq, SUNWCuser, SUNWCprog or SUNWCall install.
• Therefore, any scripts belonging to the SUNWCXall metacluster installed on your system (such as S75flashprom) may be necessary for your system's functioning and should not be deleted without careful consideration.
• Therefore,carefull examine your system before following checklists or scripts which "delete all files except the following"...
• The packages listed are representative; some of the startup files may be created from more than one package. (Perhaps I should have listed the cluster the package belongs to...)
• The vast majority of startup files belong in the SUNWcsr (Core Solaris) package which is installed as part of every Solaris installation. Others may not be created depending on which OS group and packages installed on the system.
• Third party software may install additional startup files.
• Files in /etc/init.d are links to these files and usually are named the same but without the "Sxx" prefix.

Many of these scripts need to be disabled, some need to be modified, and a few need to be created.

Which ones can be disabled?
Unless you are absolutely sure, don't delete a startup file, just disable it. There is a difference between deleting a file and preventing them from starting up...

If sure are sure you don't need a file, then change its name or move it to a subdirectory called "disabled":

mkdir /etc/rc1.d/disabled/ mkdir /etc/rc2.d/disabled/ mkdir /etc/rc3.d/disabled/ mv -f /etc/rc2.d/S*asppp /etc/rc2.d/disabled/

Which ones need to be modified?
Some of the existing rc files should be modified to add additional logging or increase security. For example, The line in /etc/rc2.d/S72inetsvc: /usr/sbin/inetd -s should be modified to read /usr/sbin/inetd -s -t in order for inetd to trace the incoming connections. Syslog will now log the client's ip address and port number, along with the name of the service. You probably also should comment out the multicast route (224.0.0.0) located within this file.

Additional Startup Files
The experts recommend creating /etc/rc3.d/S70nddconfig (and a link to /etc/init.d/nddconfig). This file will contain ndd commands designed to increase network security. (Solaris Operating Environment: Network Settings for Security). Jeff Campione also recommends creating an /etc/rc2.d/S75sshd startup script. If you have any static routes or proxy arp entries, create a file /etc/rc2.d/S99static_routes and place the arp and "route" commands in it. (Source: YASSP-Post installation steps))

Titan also creates a /etc/rc3.d/S79tmpfix (/etc/init.d/tmpfix) to change the "sticky bit" on the /tmp directory.

References