Queries related to runlevels and fdisk utility...

UNIX Solaris
1

Hello friends..
I have 2 doubts as follows:

1.What is the difference between init s (single user mode), init S (single user mode), init 1 (single user mode), and again failsafe mode.
As far as I have seen, init s and init 1 does the same thing: putting the system in maintenance mode asking for root password and once entered it enters into that mode.

and "failsafe mode"does not ask for a password and it mounts / directory to /a.

Please let me know the correct difference between these modes.

  1. init 0 in x 86 is restarting the system... Is it designed that way.?

3.What is the use of fdisk utility in the format main menu. Bill Calkins says it is used to create a "Solaris Fdisk " slice. But, I could not understand that....Is there any way I can create more partitions with fdisk... (that is, after installing Solaris slice on an fdisk primary partition and still more space left on the disk?)

thank u...

2

To answer question 2. an "init 0" takes you to the Open Boot Prom's (OBP) monitor prompt on a Sparc based Sun machine, an Intel based machine cannot be shutdown to the BIOS level so an init 0 has to just reboot an Intel box instead.

Concerning failsafe mode in question 1. again a Sparc based machine can have security password set and the security mode set to "command" such that one can only run "boot" from the OBP unless you provide the password, so a "boot -F failsafe" would cause you to have to supply the PROM password, Intel machine's BIOS can have a password set to prevent changing of settings but (I think I am correct in saying) not for passing parameters to the Operating system; an intel based Solaris server is therefore going to have to rely on the physical security of the room/data centre it is installed in.

3

Thank you so much for the reply....bye.