The FreeBSD mixer and the "reboot" command

Niatross · Dec 7, 2012

Problem:
You setup your mixer settings the way you want them and then you find out that these settings never survive a reboot. You find out that this type of problem only happens when you use the "reboot" command.

Resolution:
If you use the "shutdown -r now" or "init 6" commands, your mixer settings are always saved correctly.

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Pretty interesting.

Obviously the "shutdown -r now" and "init 6" commands stop the mixer daemon and allow it to save its settings to the "/var/db/mixer<x>-state" file.

Beastie · Dec 7, 2012

Yes that's how it should be done.

&quot said:
reboot[/man]"]
Normally, the shutdown(8) utility is used when the system needs to be
halted or restarted, giving users advance warning of their impending doom
and cleanly terminating specific programs.

gkontos · Dec 7, 2012

A common misconception is that 'reboot' is an alias for 'shutdown -r now'.

There are many differences which often lead to data corruption.

chatwizrd · Dec 7, 2012

Yup its sad how many Linux/Unix noobs use reboot and think they are doing it right.

fmw · Dec 11, 2012

Well, it's not something that will strike you as obvious.

Sfynx · Dec 11, 2012

Then I wonder when it would be more appropriate to use reboot(8) rather than a clean shut down?

kpa · Dec 11, 2012

Rebooting from a single user mode session after doing make installworld and running mergemaster(8), that's best done with reboot(8).

gkontos · Dec 11, 2012

Sfynx said:
Then I wonder when it would be more appropriate to use reboot(8) rather than a clean shut down?

IMHO reboot(8) should be removed from FreeBSD the way it works now.

fonz · Dec 11, 2012

Niatross said:
If you use the "shutdown -r now" or "init 6" commands, your mixer settings are always saved correctly.

Alternatively, if you'd prefer to have your mixer at a certain fixed setting on every boot you could just put a mixer(8) command in your /etc/rc.local file.

Fonz

Amberleaf · Dec 21, 2012

fonz said:
Alternatively, if you'd prefer to have your mixer at a certain fixed setting on every boot you could just put a mixer(8) command in your /etc/rc.local file.

Fonz

Would that work in FreeBSD 8.3?

fonz · Dec 21, 2012

Amberleaf said:
Would that work in FreeBSD 8.3?

Sure.

Fonz