Hi. I am runnig Slackware 10.2 with KDE, I know there are a bunch of services running that I don't really need, but I don't know how to stop them and also prevent them from running at boot. I run Mandrake 10.1 on another computer and it was pretty easy to do it. I just went to the configuration gui and it has a tab called "services". Does Slackware have something like that, or that would be against its philosophy? Thanks

It has a GUI to enable / disable system services at boot,
try /sbin/pkgtool as root

(Setup > check services)

I use Slackware and KDE. The KDE control center does not provide a front-end to configuring system services (hint to savvy KDE developers ). There is a control center section for configuring KDE-related services.

As keefaz mentioned, you can open a console session (Konsole) as root and run pkgtool.

Of course, you also can change the status of services by directly modifying the executable bit. From the command line you do this with chmod.

But if you're more familiar and comfortable with graphical interfaces, then consider adding the super user Konqueror file manager to your Kicker system tray. Once you have done this, you can remain in the more familiar GUI, open the super user Konqueror, drill your way down to the /etc/rc.d directory, and then simply toggle the file properties of the script you want to modify at boot.

The traditional caveat applies: once you start the super user Konqueror you have full root privileges to the entire system. As a safety precaution, I have changed the background color of my root Konqueror to a mild pink to help remind me that I am using my super user Konqueror and not my normal user Konqueror.

I also enjoy using Kate as my preferred editor. Thus, I have added another system tray icon to run Kate as root. Similarly, I have configured my root Kate to use a mild pink background to help me distinguish when using Kate as root.

I keep my root related system tray applets on the right side of kicker and my normal user applets on the left side.

I hope this helps.

Thanks, that's very helpful. Just one thing. Hwo do you add a super user knoneror (or anything) icon? Thanks

1. On your Kicker (taskbar), right-click on an empty section of the bar.
2. From the pop-up menu, select Add.
3. From the Add menu option, select Application Button.
4. From the Application Button menu option, select System.
5. From the System menu option, select File Manager - Super User Mode.
6. A blue colored icon should appear on the Kicker. (If you look closely you'll see the the icon is a file cabinet.)
7. Right-click on this new icon.
8. From the pop-menu select Move File Manager - Super User Mode Button.
9. When the mouse pointer changes to a cross-hairs icon, select the icon and drag the icon to the right of the red logout button. Release the button.
10. Click once on the new icon to open Konqueror as Super User (root). Even if you have your desktop configured to respond to double-clicks, you need only click once on these system tray icons.
11. A dialog box will appear asking you for the password to the root login account. Enter the password.
12. Konqueror will open and look exactly the same as if you had opened as normal user.
13. To help you distinguish this Konqueror from your normal user Konqueror, select the View menu.
14. From the View menu select Configure Background.
15. In the dialog box, if necessary, select the Color radio button.
16. Click once on the color bar that is located just to the right of the Color radio button.
17. In the HTML: text box, enter #FDD9E6. This is the color pink.
18. Select the OK buttons to close the dialog boxes.

You now have Konqueror Super User Mode configured differently from your normal user account.

If you want Kate (K Advanced Text Editor) to open as root so you can edit configuration files that require root access:

1. Repeat the previous steps to place a Kate icon on your system tray. You'll find the Kate application in the Editors menu option.
2. Move the icon next to your Konqueror Super User Mode icon.
3. At this point the Kate icon is configured for normal user mode and not as root.
4. Right-click on the Kate icon.
5. From the pop-up menu, select Properties.
6. From the Properties dialog box, select the Application tab.
7. In the Command text box, enter kdesu kate %U.
8. FYI: the kdesu command is a special KDE command allowing you to open various applications and programs as root rather than as normal user. The command functions similarly to the command line su -c command.
8. Select the OK buttons to close the dialog boxes.
9. Click once on the Kate system tray button.
10. A familiar dialog box will appear asking you for the root password. BTW, the Keep password check box is good only for the current login session. Additionally, if you have inquisitive children, spouses, or pets running around you might not want to enable that check box.
11. Kate will open as root user and not as normal user.
12. To again provide you some mental feedback that you are using Kate as root and not normal user, select the Kate Settings menu.
13. Select the Configure Kate menu option.
14. From the options tree, select the Editor-Fonts & Colors option.
15. Select the Colors tab.
16. In the Text Area Background section, click once on the bar for Normal Text.
17. In the HTML: text box, enter #FDD9E6. This is the color pink.
18. Select the OK buttons to close the dialog boxes.

You now have Kate configured differently from your normal user account.

Regarding your original question about preventing services from running at boot-up:

1. Click once to open your Super User Konqueror.
2. If the directory tree is not showing on the left side of Konqueror then press F9.
3. In the directory tree pane, find the etc directory.
4. Click once on the small plus sign, which is the expand button.
5. Within the /etc directory find the rc.d directory.
6. Click once on the rc.d directory.
7. In the file pane you now should see the scripts that are run at boot-up time.
8. Find a script that starts a service you want to disable.
9. Right-click on that file. Be sure to click on the file name and not just anywhere on the display row.
10. From the pop-up menu, select Properties.
11. From the pop-up dialog box, select the Permissions tab.
12. Disable/uncheck the Is executable check box.
13. Select the OK button to close the dialog box.
14. Reverse the check box process to enable a service at boot-up.

I also have a KDE session configured for a root login. I changed the background color to red. I use a vertical gradient to help reduce the intensity of the red color, but the red background helps remind me that I am working as root and not as a normal user. Some hard-core priests frown upon logging in as root in this manner, but I find the setup quite useful and I've been around computers for more than 20 years. Just use some horse sense.

I hope this helps.

Strictly speaking, you shouldn't need to run Konqueror as the super user. I try to avoid doing anything as root if at all possible. Normally I'll only 'su' to root if I need to install something, upgrade the kernel or edit a config file. Everything else can be done as an unprivileged user from within the GUI.

Disactivating services by chmod command may be a solution indeed, but it may be inaplicable as well; it is the case when the service to discuss has not its own executable file. In this case one should inspect the /etc/inetd.conf file and disable the useless service by commenting its line out.