Starting vpnc from init.d ruined by HAL

[Mogens Kjaer]

Running FC4, kernel 2.6.14-1.1637_FC4, all updates.

I would like to start my VPN client (vpnc) at an early stage
during boot. After the network is started, but before
NIS, NFS, etc. are started.

I've done this by adding an /etc/init.d script with
the line:

# chkconfig: 2345 13 87

The script as such works ok; I've added a test printing
in /etc/rc.d/rc that prints out the routing tables
before each /etc/rc5.d/S* script is called. The VPN
tunnel is up when my script has been called.

However, when I log in and print the routing table,
the tunnel is gone.

In /var/log/messages I see the following:

Nov 19 17:56:57 mogens4 fstab-sync[2309]: removed all generated mount points
Nov 19 17:56:58 mogens4 fstab-sync[2320]: added mount point 
/media/floppy for /dev/fd0
Nov 19 17:56:58 mogens4 fstab-sync[2323]: added mount point 
/media/cdrecorder for /dev/hdc
Nov 19 17:57:00 mogens4 kernel: input: PC Speaker
Nov 19 17:57:00 mogens4 hal.hotplug[2352]: DEVPATH is not set (subsystem 
input)
Nov 19 17:57:00 mogens4 kernel: ACPI: PCI interrupt for device 
0000:02:08.0 disabled
Nov 19 17:57:00 mogens4 kernel: e100: Intel(R) PRO/100 Network Driver, 
3.4.14-k2-NAPI
Nov 19 17:57:00 mogens4 kernel: e100: Copyright(c) 1999-2005 Intel 
Corporation
Nov 19 17:57:00 mogens4 kernel: ACPI: PCI Interrupt 0000:02:08.0[A] -> 
Link [LNKE] -> GSI 11 (level, low) -> IRQ 11
Nov 19 17:57:00 mogens4 kernel: e100: eth0: e100_probe: addr 0xc1000000, 
irq 11, MAC addr 00:09:6B:46:61:86
Nov 19 17:57:01 mogens4 vpnc[1700]: routing loop to <MY VPN GATEWAY>
Nov 19 17:57:01 mogens4 kernel: e100: eth0: e100_watchdog: link up, 
100Mbps, full-duplex
Nov 19 17:57:01 mogens4 vpnc[1700]: routing loop to <MY VPN GATEWAY>
Nov 19 17:57:03 mogens4 last message repeated 4 times

The "e100 ... link up" line has also occured earlier during boot,
when the network was set up, before my vpn script.

For me, it looks like as if the HAL daemon restarts my eth0 interface,
and ruining my tunnel.

How can I avoid this? Or is there a smarter way of doing this?

Mogens
-- 
Mogens Kjaer, Carlsberg A/S, Computer Department
Gamle Carlsberg Vej 10, DK-2500 Valby, Denmark
Phone: +45 33 27 53 25, Fax: +45 33 27 47 08
Email: mk at crc.dk Homepage: http://www.crc.dk