Executing Commands at Boot

There are three primary options for executing custom commands at boot time: shellcmd, earlyshellcmd, and
shell script.

The shellcmd package can manage the shellcmd and earlyshellcmd tags in the GUI, so config.xml values need
not be edited by hand.

At boot time, the earlyshellcmd commands are executed first, shellcmd is executed later in the boot process,
and the shell scripts are executed at the very end when packages are initialized.

shellcmd option

The hidden config.xml option <shellcmd> will run the command specified towards the end of the boot
process.

To add a shellcmd to a configuration, either use the shellcmd package or edit the config by hand. To edit the
config, back it up via Diagnostics > Backup/restore, and open the resulting XML file in a text editor (other
than the stock Windows Notepad). Above the </system> line, add a line such as the following:

<shellcmd>mycommand -a -b -c 123</shellcmd>

Where mycommand -a -b -c 123 is the command to run. Multiple lines may be added to execute multiple
commands. Save the changes and restore the modified configuration.

earlyshellcmd option

The hidden config.xml option <earlyshellcmd> will run the command specified at the beginning of the boot
process. Normally, <shellcmd> should be used instead, though this may be necessary in some
circumstances. Similarly to <shellcmd>, to add a <earlyshellcmd> option, either use the shellcmd package or
edit it in by hand. To edit it manually, backup the configuration, open it in a text editor, and add a line such as
the following above </system>:

<earlyshellcmd>mycommand -a -b -c 123</earlyshellcmd>

Where mycommand -a -b -c 123 is the command to run. Multiple <earlyshellcmd> lines may be added to execute

multiple commands. Save the changes and restore the modified configuration.

Shell script option

Any shell script can be placed in the /usr/local/etc/rc.d/ directory. The filename must end in .sh and it must be
marked as executable (chmod +x myscript.sh). Every shell script ending in .sh in this directory will be executed at
boot time.

The first two options are preferable as they are retained in the config file and hence do not require additional
modifications should the storage medium be replaced and reinstalled, or if the configuration is restored to a
different piece of hardware.