update-rc.d does not disables runlevel 1 services

[Tony Garcia]

Under certain circumstances update-rc.d does not disable packages from starting, specifically on runlevel 1.

In this example I'm using dns-clean service provided by pppconfig

pppconfig enables the following service via postinst:
  #!/bin/sh

  # Postinst for pppconfig by John Hasler 1999-2005
  # Any possessor of a copy of this program may treat it as if it
  # were in the public domain. I waive all rights.

  set -e

  if [ -x "`which update-menus`" ] ; then
      update-menus
  fi if dpkg --compare-versions "$2" lt "2.3.18ubuntu2"; then
          update-rc.d -f dns-clean remove >/dev/null
  fi
  update-rc.d dns-clean start 70 1 2 3 4 5 . >/dev/null

  exit 0

After installation of pppconfig package the following rc.N symlinks are set for this service:
  # ls -1 /etc/rc*/*dns-clean
  /etc/rc1.d/S70dns-clean
  /etc/rc2.d/S70dns-clean
  /etc/rc3.d/S70dns-clean
  /etc/rc4.d/S70dns-clean
  /etc/rc5.d/S70dns-clean

When attempting to disable this is what I get:
  # /usr/sbin/update-rc.d dns-clean disable
  update-rc.d: warning: start runlevel arguments (none) do not match dns-clean Default-Start values (1 2 3 4 5)
   Disabling system startup links for /etc/init.d/dns-clean ...
   Removing any system startup links for /etc/init.d/dns-clean ...
     /etc/rc1.d/S70dns-clean
     /etc/rc2.d/S70dns-clean
     /etc/rc3.d/S70dns-clean
     /etc/rc4.d/S70dns-clean
     /etc/rc5.d/S70dns-clean
   Adding system startup for /etc/init.d/dns-clean ...
     /etc/rc1.d/S70dns-clean -> ../init.d/dns-clean
     /etc/rc2.d/K30dns-clean -> ../init.d/dns-clean
     /etc/rc3.d/K30dns-clean -> ../init.d/dns-clean
     /etc/rc4.d/K30dns-clean -> ../init.d/dns-clean
     /etc/rc5.d/K30dns-clean -> ../init.d/dns-clean

Note that the service is still disabled on runlevel 1, the expected outcome is to disable runlevel 1 as well.

--- OS/Package(s) Information:

# lsb_release -rd
Description: Ubuntu 14.04.2 LTS
Release: 14.04

# apt-cache policy sysv-rc
sysv-rc:
  Installed: 2.88dsf-41ubuntu6.2
  Candidate: 2.88dsf-41ubuntu6.2
  Version table:
 *** 2.88dsf-41ubuntu6.2 0
        500 http://mirror.rackspace.com/ubuntu/ trusty-updates/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     2.88dsf-41ubuntu6 0
        500 http://mirror.rackspace.com/ubuntu/ trusty/main amd64 Packages

# apt-cache policy pppconfig
pppconfig:
  Installed: 2.3.19ubuntu1
  Candidate: 2.3.19ubuntu1
  Version table:
 *** 2.3.19ubuntu1 0
        500 http://mirror.rackspace.com/ubuntu/ trusty/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

[Tony Garcia (tonyskapunk)]

Update on the package

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.