Comment 3 for bug 259043

Here is my analysis and suggested remedies:

 1) The "service" script in debian-helper-scripts is very, very basic. It simply does, `/etc/init.d/$1 $2 $3`, and there is no manpage. This script should be removed entirely, and the control file should be updated to depend on sysvinit-utils.

 2) The "service" script in sysvconfig is perhaps better, supporting a more complete feature set, and sporting it's own manpage. However, this package, as well as debian-helper-scripts are both in Universe. The script has commented out the status-all section, saying that Debian does not support "status" messages. Clearly, we've made some progress there [1], and this could actually be of some use now. This script should be moved (and modified) from this package, into sysvinit-utils, and the control file should be updated to depend on it.

 3) The Red Hat version of this script is closer to (2), and is GPLv2+, same as our source package for sysvinit. It should be possible to import and modify the RH version accordingly.

I will update the patch for a smarter "service" script, compatible with the ones used in debian-helper-scripts and sysvconfig, and as close as possible to the one in Red Hat. I will also attach subsequent patches to debian-helper-scripts and sysvconfig to prune out their provided "service" code, and set them to depend on sysvinit-utils.

:-Dustin

[1] https://wiki.ubuntu.com/InitScriptStatusActions