Re: Should reboot(8) be modified so that it can become the recommended way to reboot a system?

From: Poul-Henning Kamp <phk_at_phk.freebsd.dk>
Date: Sun, 09 Feb 2025 17:00:06 UTC
--------
Daniel Tameling writes:

> Part of the problem is that reboot indeed reboots the system.

I understand what you are saying, but there's no way it can be a
"problem" that a command called "reboot" reboots the system :-)

If we dont want to make this a flag-day and break a lot of scripts,
and other automation, the only option, is to make reboot(8) and
halt(8) print a message and sleep long enough that people can
change their mind.

My suggestion would be:

If reboot(8) or halt(8) is invoked with any other argument than
'-p', they behave as documented today.

If they are invoked without arguments, or with only the '-p' argument,
it goes something like:

	# reboot

	If you want things to be stop nicely:

	    Press CTRL-C now, and use the shutdown(8) command instead.

	3
	2
	1
	rebooting

That clearly communicates what the concern is, gives people a sensible
chance to change their mind, and does not break any existing scripts.

Poul-Henning

-- 
Poul-Henning Kamp       | UNIX since Zilog Zeus 3.20
phk@FreeBSD.ORG         | TCP/IP since RFC 956
FreeBSD committer       | BSD since 4.3-tahoe    
Never attribute to malice what can adequately be explained by incompetence.