Bug#730824: initscripts: please document INIT_VERBOSE in /etc/default/rcS (and/or rcS (5) )

[Thomas Viehweger]

>> I wondered why some messages don't appear even if I had set VERBOSE=yes
>> Looking at the code I found the solution (setting INIT_VERBOSE to yes).
>>
>> What about adding the following lines (or similar) to /etc/default/rcS:
>>
>> # be verbose even if kernel commandline contains "quiet"
>> #INIT_VERBOSE=yes
> Yes, this definitely can be done. But I'd ask, whether INIT_VERBOSE
> variable is actually needed.
>
> We have $VERBOSE variable, that defaults to "yes", can be set in
> /etc/default/rcS and may be modified according to kernel option. And
> also we have $INIT_VERBOSE, that overrides $VERBOSE independent of
> kernel option.
>
> Isn't it is too much complexity for such simple thing? Why would anyone
> desire non-verbose boot?

Yes, it is very complex.

I don't want to see regular kernel messages, only irregular. So I use the "quiet" parameter.

While debugging enormous shutdown delays I found the solution with INIT_VERBOSE even
if it was not documented and only deep buried in /lib/init/vars.sh.

The point for this bug report was to just document this variable.