[erlang-questions] crazy thoughts: inittab and erl node

[jm]

Sean Hinde wrote:
> 
> On 7 May 2007, at 06:23, jm wrote:
> 
>> Has anyone attempted to start an erlang node from inittab? For example,
>> something like
>>
>>  n0:2345:/usr/sbin/erl -noshell
>>
>> or for the more crazy out there doing embedded systems: Replacing
>> /sbin/init with an erlang node? Now I've have no idea what the advantage
>> or disadvantages of such a set up would be. It's just a random thought
>> that occured to me and I was interested to know if anyone had tried it.
> 
> This post thread refers to one such project started:
> 
> http://forum.trapexit.org/viewtopic.php?t=2440
> 
> I'm not sure if it ever ran, but Tony probably has the code filed away
> somewhere ;-)
> 

Interesting thread. Do you know how far the project got? I started on
this train of thought by thinking about how cut down a system could get
and still be useful. One of the problems with embedded linux is the
tendency to have a root shell to use linux as a normal unix system
rather than a fully customised system. (Think the CLI on a router or
similar device). While this is not always a major problem and can get
you out of the occasional tight corner, it makes the product look a
little unpolished. I read else where that ericsson was using a base OS
plus one (possibly more) erlang nodes on top which lead me to thinking
about this. Anyone there with experience with such systems care to
comment on how these units are set up?

As to the question Jim raised in another email about setting up
networking, etc. I'd imagine using a port based around something like
busy box.


Jeff.