Ubuntu and Upstart

From openSUSE

Ubuntu uses a SysV replacement. It's called Upstart and works with triggering events. Since Upstart has generated some buzz and people were talking about how fast Ubuntu boots I took a look at Upstart and Ubuntu.

Upstart sounds very elegant, but up to now it just imitates SysV init for Ubuntu. Maybe for Ubtunu this will change after the Feisty release, but not before.

Note: because of some outdated information in the preload config for GNOME, which were found in the SUSE version this bootcharts were done with, boot times are worse than they are now. See Boottime#preload-0.2-74

Comparison Ubuntu and Suse

In the end you can't compare Suse and Ubuntu, cause the later starts just the very basic services, but for example no smtpd and no sshd. Ubuntu has a really spartan setup while Suse starts everything one might eventually needs. Suse also preloads some desktop stuff, like kdelibs and gnomelibs, which also costs some time, but is very convenient.

See [etc-ubuntu-rc.7.04.tgz] for the init scripts of Ubuntu, the one in rcS.d and rc2.d are run by default in Ubuntu.

Boot to GDM-Loginscreen

	Ubuntu 7.04 beta	Suse 10.3 alpha 3plus
Boottime 1	0:46	0:56
Boottime 2	0:46	1:00
Boottime 3	0:46	1:01
Bootcharts

Autologin with Gnome and autostarting gnome-terminal

	Ubuntu 7.04 beta	Suse 10.3 alpha 3plus
Boottime 1	0:54	1:13
Boottime 2	0:52	1:12
Boottime 3	0:51	1:11
average boot time	0:52	1:12
Bootcharts

Upstart on Suse

Same system as above, Suse with deinstalled sysvinit and installed upstart - as described in the Upstart-howto - booting to gdm login screen.

	SysV	Upstart
Boottime 1	0:56	1:01
Boottime 2	1:00	0:59
Boottime 3	1:01	1:01
average boottime	0:59	1:00
Bootcharts

Since Upstart currently just imitates SysV init, there was no performance improvement when booting Suse with Upstart instead of the SysV init.