Boot Process: Suse 10.3

Hello,
I was curious if someone had information regarding the actual boot process for SuSE 10.3? I have a default installation, and in that installation I have not been able to get a handle on things such as how the environment variables are defined, much less where I can find information specific to SuSE 10.3 regarding this.

What I am asking for (if it exists, is available, and not too much trouble) is a document that explains the following:

1.) From the time the computer is turned on, what is the entire boot process for SuSE 10.3? What programs are executed after a selection is made in GRUB (my default boot manager)?

2.) What programs are being used to make sure that my system files are not being modified?

3.) From the time the kernel completes its loading process, what shell scripts and programs are executed to establish the SuSE operating system version 10.3?

4.) During the execution of these script / program executions - what do each of them do?

I am asking a lot of vague questions, I know this, please bear with me. I understand how versions prior to this boot, but there has been so many changes since the last time I have used Linux - and now so much has changed that I am a little kernfuzed all over again.

If there is a document that explains all of this, I would be more than willing to read through it if someone can point me to it. If the only thing that is available is a purchase type document or book, this is fine also, let me know what it is and I will go get it.

I do not want to flood this board with retarded questions that have been asked over and over again, this is why I am asking if there is a document that covers this first post, first question.

The goal for me is to establish in my mind the complete boot order, the same way I did for slackware version 3 through 7. I am hoping that someone may have this information handy and this request will not be so generalized and obscure that people will NOT get mad over this.

Thank you for your patience.

KungDPow

I think even for the different distributions the principle of system startup is the same:
for the general information, your can try google.
for specific information, maybe you can read the /etc/inittab, /etc/init.d/rc, /etc/init.d/rc[0-6].d, the source code of the script is the best documents, :--)

Take a look here:

http://www-uxsup.csx.cam.ac.uk/pub/doc/sus...n/cha.boot.html

It's for 9.3, but I think the majority of the concepts should have stayed the same for the 10.x series.

Also here:
http://www.novell.com/documentation/opensu..._boot_init.html

In general, the BIOS looks into the CMOS and provides the H/W info to the system; Grub's duty is to continue the boot to where the OS's kernel takes over; the kernel looks back into the BIOS (and it's tables) and fires up the OS to bring up the "System".

As I understand it, in general:

OS-10.3 is not that different from earlier versions except in 2 areas:

* it boots some processes in parallel
* it uses PolicyKit, udev, hald & ConsoleKit "rules" in lieu of the previous "hotplug".

So, when one does the "install", SuSE configures the kernel & system specifically for your system based on hardware detection at that time. The config should not change, unless, one diddles with user & group ownership, or, adds or removes devices & all the rules change.

So what could cause changes?
BIOS update (and one should always have the latest for your system)
Kernel update
PolicyKit, udev, hald & ConsoleKit updates (and there have been quite a few -- look at the bug reports).

Once you have the updates "stable", there shouldn't be any more system changes (except for adding/removing devices).

Ergo, do the install & immediately do a YOU update to the current stable, production system. Then, don't go messing with beta apps & processes. Make another install for messing around & trial & error. Example, look at the bug list for the latest kernel update.

If you want a rock solid stable system, try SLED 10 SP1.