Talk:OpenRC

The Preventing slow services from delaying boot passage currently uses chronyd as an example of a service that may delay boot. The passage could be improved:-

1. There is another, simpler and safer method to prevent a slow startup by chronyd that could be listed first and avoids dealing with the expressed danger of editing /etc/inittab wrongly and its implied stunting of system boot.

The method has been suggested helpfully in various places:

• In the second paragraph of the file to be edited: /etc/conf.d/chronyd
• https://whynothugo.nl/journal/2023/11/19/setting-up-an-alpine-linux-workstation/#chronyd-blocks-at-startup
• https://gist.github.com/c0m4r/e38d41d0e31f6adda4b4c5a88ba0a453#NTP

The method is to edit /etc/conf.d/chronyd and to change the line FAST_STARTUP=no to FAST_STARTUP=yes.

2. Technically, chronyd is not a boot service but rather launches at the default level (rc-update add chronyd default), so the subheading may need to be improved. There is only one wiki page that links to that subheading, and it is in this very same OpenRC wiki page, so it should be easy to change the subheading title, say, from "Preventing slow services from delaying boot" to "Preventing slow services from delaying system launch" or ...system startup. The link is mentioned twice in this wiki page, so those passages could be reviewed:

• https://wiki.alpinelinux.org/wiki/OpenRC#Stacked_runlevels
• https://wiki.alpinelinux.org/wiki/OpenRC#Configuration

Alternatively, an Include:Chronyd - Startup Speed Enhancement page could be started for inclusion here and wherever else (Any future Chrony page, for example) that would include the current inittab method and the FAST_STARTUP method. John3-16 (talk) 16:21, 8 August 2025 (UTC)

Please note also that the external link about the inittab method, OpenRC: Start services after login prompt, is now broken. Please consider whether perhaps the reference/attribution is suitable, as it stands. John3-16 (talk) 16:33, 8 August 2025 (UTC)

John3-16 (talk)

Thanks for submitting a thorough feedback. Highly appreciated. I have fixed the external links and internal links and updated section heading as per your suggestion. Service chrony was meant to be example to explain the concept. For now i've removed the word chrony. Regarding adding FAST_STARTUP=yes to Chrony page, i'm quite hesitant to touch pages where i lack knowledge. -Prabuanand (talk) 20:02, 8 August 2025 (UTC)

The below Note may add confusion to users. Please consider rewording or removal.

Note: The upstream OpenRC User Guide for user services considers configuring pam in the management of user service sessions; as an experimental branch of OpenRC, this facility, including its autostart configuration, may be fluid. Many Alpine Linux installations typically may not run pam.

• The experimental is already there "User services are currently experimental ". If necessary that can be highlighted.
• I request a rewording to tell user on what he's supposed to do for pam. In the current form, the Note does not help the user on how to proceed.

- Prabuanand (talk) 11:03, 11 August 2025 (UTC)