HP-UX System Administrator's Guide: Overview

run level transitions. /sbin/rc.utils also logs output from startup and
shutdown scripts to the file /etc/rc.log.
2. The rc daemon then runs/etc/rc.config which processes all scripts in the
directory /etc/rc.config.d. The scripts in /etc/rc.config.d set variables
that control the execution of the startup and shutdown scripts that are subsequently
run by the rc daemon.
IMPORTANT: You control what the startup and shutdown (kill) scripts do by
setting variables in their corresponding scripts in the /etc/rc.config.d
directory.
Do not edit the scripts in the /sbin/init.d directory directly (These scripts might
be replaced during a patch installation or product update, causing you to lose your
changes).
3. Searches the appropriate/sbin/rc#.d directory for scripts to run (and runs
them).
• If the run level being transitioned to is higher than the current run level, then
the # in rc#.d represents the run level one higher than the current run level
and the scripts in the rc#.d directory with names beginning with “S” are
run.
• If the run level being transitioned to is lower than the current run level, then
the # in rc#.d represents the run level one lower than the current run level
and the scripts in the rc#.d directory with names beginning with “K” are
run.
This step is repeated for each run level between the current run level and the target
run level.
4. Each startup (or kill) script is first run with the start_msg (or stop_msg) parameter
causing it to output its one line message on the system console, and then run again
with the start (or stop) parameter to perform its function (based on what variables
were previously set from the file in the /etc/rc.config.d directory).
90 Major Components of HP-UX