Exiting runlevels

In the article Debian Administration :: An introduction to run-levels, in the section "Transitioning Between Run levels", it is stated that "When you leave a runlevel, nothing happens. All the action takes place when you enter the new run level."

Does the same apply to all linux distributions, or do some distros handle it differently?

This is common to all Unix and Linux operating systems. When you enter a run level the script that manages that transition runs all of the files that start with K and then runs all of the files that start with S. The Ks kill daemons and application environments and the Ss start daemons and application environments.

That is how standard init works. It can be different with another initialization system.

Originally Posted by raskin That is how standard init works. It can be different with another initialization system.

Okay. That's true. You got me.

Frankly, I didn't see your reply, just tried to state a short correct answer. But your answer has advantage of more exactly describing how standard init works.

Thanks for the responses.

Currently I'm only concerned with MEPIS 6.0 and Fedora 5, which both use the standard SysV Init.

But MEPIS is based on Ubuntu, which apparently is going to switch to a new init system. I'm not clear on whether that will change the "When you leave a runlevel, nothing happens." behavior, or whether the new init system will even have "runlevels".