Changing the /etc/inittab File

System Management Guide: Operating System and Devices

Changing the /etc/inittab File

This section contains procedures for using the four commands (chitab, lsitab, mkitab, and rmitab) that modify the records in the etc/inittab file.

Adding Records - mkitab Command

To add a record to the /etc/inittab file, type:

mkitab Identifier:Run Level:Action:Command

then press Enter. For example, to add a record for tty2, type:

mkitab tty002:2:respawn:/usr/sbin/getty /dev/tty2

In the above example:

`tty002`	Identifies the object whose run level you are defining.
`2`	Specifies the run level at which this process should run.
`respawn`	Specifies the action that the init command should take for this process.
`/usr/sbin/getty /dev/tty2`	Specifies the shell command to be executed.

Changing Records - chitab Command

To change a record to the /etc/inittab file, type:

chitab Identifier:Run Level:Action:Command

then press Enter. For example, to change a record for tty2 so that this process runs at run levels 2 and 3, type:

chitab tty002:23:respawn:/usr/sbin/getty /dev/tty2

In the above example:

`tty002`	Identifies the object whose run level you are defining.
`23`	Specifies the run levels at which this process should run.
`respawn`	Specifies the action that the init command should take for this process.
`/usr/sbin/getty /dev/tty2`	Specifies the shell command to be executed.

Listing Records - lsitab Command

To list all records in the /etc/inittab file, type:

lsitab -a

then press Enter.

To list a specific record in the /etc/inittab file, type:

lsitab Identifier

then press Enter.

For example, to list the record for tty2, type: lsitab tty2.

Removing Records

To remove a record from the /etc/inittab file, type:

rmitab Identifier

then press Enter. For example, to remove the record for tty2, type: rmitab tty2.