I tried 3 methods to run a custom script at boot time but none work

[winger9]

Hi

I'm trying to run my own custom shell script at boot time, but without success.
I HAVE searched the forums but can't find an answer to my particular problem.

(I've got Knoppix distro 7.0.2, ver 3.3.7, on hard disk, on Acer Aspire 5750 laptop.)

My simple script is as follows:

#!/bin/sh

# This script is to run programs and make settings that I want to effect after
# I've just booted. It would be better if I could get this script to run
# during the boot.

# Cause the script command lines themselves to be DISPLAYED.

set -x

# Restore the volume settings that I stored with "alsamixer store".

alsactl restore

# cfg80211 and wl are kernel modules related to operating the wifi on my laptop.
# wl enables my particular Broadcom wifi card BCM43227 to work.
# The following commands ADD these modules to the kernel. "modprobe wl" makes
# the wifi LED come on.

sudo modprobe cfg80211
sudo modprobe wl

The script runs OK when I manually run it at a terminal prompt, after full
bootup.

To get it to run at boot time, I've tried placing the script in the following places (I made the script executable, with owner root):

1. /KNOPPIX/knoppix.sh
2. /etc/profile.d/JGstartup.sh
3. /etc/rc5.d/S99JGstartup (a symlink to /etc/init.d/JGstartup)

But it doesn't appear to execute in any of these cases. I would know if it had
executed by seeing the laptop wifi light coming on (last instruction in
script). But the light doesn't come on (as it dutifully does when i run the
script from a terminal, after bootup).

Could a kind person tell me what's wrong please. Thanks. John.

[utu]

Greetings, John

The commands you indicate here could all go into a few lines
of /etc/rc.local.
As root, use leafpad to put your lines just above the 'exit 0' line.
These go in after all other boot stuff, but I think it'll be ok.

[winger9]

Utu you're a genius. Thanks, your solution works. At some point I'd like to have a separate script file (or files) containing my personal scripts, that the boot executes (you know - not within rc.local), and earlier in the boot process preferably. But thanks for your present solution which will get me by for now.

John

[utu]

Greetings, John

You are certainly a flatterer, but thanks.

Klaus K provides additional alternatives in Knoppix you might want to examine.
Quoting from /mnt-system/KNOPPIX/knoppix-cheatcodes.txt:

If you place an update*.zip or update*tar.gz file on the medium holding
the KNOPPIX data, it will be unpacked onto the overlayed filesystem
before starting "init", thus allowing quick reconfiguration of the
system.

The file "knoppix.sh", if residing in the main KNOPPIX directory, will
be execuded after autoconfiguration and before starting the graphical
desktop. It can be used in order to start additional services.

[utu]

Greetings again, John.

Re-reading your initial post, it occurs to me that perhaps you just didn't find the right
directory for your earlier attempts. The following is an earlier post of mine where
I used Klaus K's update*.tar.gz idea. It looks like /mnt-system is what Klaus means
by "on the medium holding the KNOPPIX data". Give that a try. It worked for me.

http://knoppix.net/forum/threads/294...update*.tar.gz

[utu]

Now I remember.

I saved update*.tar.gz in /mnt-system as an inert 'backup'.
I moved it, off-line, into /mnt-system/KNOPPIX/ and rebooted to apply it.

So, /mnt-system/KNOPPIX is probably the 'right' directory for you in applying the
update*.tar.gz idea.