/etc/rc.2 and background processes

[Gray Abbott]

I have a Microport SYS V/AT and have a question about about /etc/rc.d .
I want to have the system check for the need to run a tape backup at
boot time and run the backup if needed.  I wrote scripts which
properly decides whether to do the backup, including asking for console
input to confirm the operation; then that script runs a second script,
in the background, which actually does the backup.  All of that worked
fine, but when I placed the first script in /etc/rc.d, the second
script fails to finish.

I think this happens because init is sending a SIGKILL to the
background process when /etc/rc2 exits, or something like that.  The
inittab has /etc/rc2 running at level 2, but also with the "action"
specified as "wait".  If I have the first script run the second in the
foreground, everything works, but I have to wait for the whole backup
to complete before I can login.

Anyway, I'd like to know what's going on, and also how to make it do
what I want.  Why does the background process die?  How can I prevent
this?


					..dartvax!creare!gda