ZDNet publishes an article about 10 tricks to make Linux boot faster.Linux rarely needs to be rebooted but, when it does, it often takes longer than you'd like. Below are the summary:
- Disable unnecessary services.
- Disable unnecessary kernel modules.
- Use a lightweight window manager, such as Enlightenment or Xfce, instead of Gnome or KDE.
- Use a text-based login instead of a graphical login.
- Use a lighter-weight distribution.
- Use an OpenBIOS - It allows Linux to actually initialize the hardware as it boots, instead of relying on the BIOS.
- Avoid DHCP.
- Get rid of hotplug - Note that udev has, for the most part, replaced hotplug. However, if you're running an older distribution, the above does apply.
- Try init-ng system (to replace SysVinit) - Decrease boot times in Unix-like operating systems.
- Use a hack with Debian - If you're using Debian, there is a simple hack you can use to switch your start up scripts to run in parallel. If you look at the /etc/init.d/rc script, you will see: 'Concurrency=none' around line 24. Change this line to 'Concurrency=shell' and you should see a reduction in boot times.
>>> http://resources.zdnet.co.uk/articles/features/0,1000002000,39454355,00.htm?r=16