-.\" $OpenBSD: rc.conf.8,v 1.20 2012/03/17 14:46:40 jmc Exp $
+.\" $OpenBSD: rc.conf.8,v 1.21 2014/07/13 08:07:51 robert Exp $
.\"
.\" Copyright (c) 1997 Ian F. Darwin
.\" All rights reserved.
.\" OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF
.\" SUCH DAMAGE.
.\"
-.Dd $Mdocdate: March 17 2012 $
+.Dd $Mdocdate: July 13 2014 $
.Dt RC.CONF 8
.Os
.Sh NAME
.Sh DESCRIPTION
The file
.Nm rc.conf
-contains a series of Bourne shell syntax assignments
+contains a series of variable assignments that are used to configure
+the system daemons. These variables are read by
+.Xr rc 8 early on in the boot sequence and every time a
+.Xr rc.d 5
+script is executed.
that are used to configure the system daemons.
-It is not read by the kernel, but is sourced by various other files
-in the
-.Pa /etc/rc.*
-series in order to set shell variables used therein
-to control the behaviour of the scripts.
.Pp
It is advisable to leave
.Nm rc.conf
Variables set in this file will override variables previously set in
.Nm rc.conf .
.Pp
+.Nm rc.conf
+is made up of variable assignments
+.Pq Ar variable Ns = Ns Ar value
+with comments designated by a hash mark
+.Pq Sq # .
+.Pp
Some variables are used to turn features on or off.
For example, whether the system runs the
.Xr dhcpd 8
daemon is determined by the following line:
.Bd -literal -offset indent
-dhcpd_flags=NO # for normal use: ""
+dhcpd_flags=NO
.Ed
.Pp
To run the dhcpd daemon,
add the following line to
.Nm rc.conf.local :
.Bd -literal -offset indent
-dhcpd_flags="" # for normal use: ""
+dhcpd_flags=
.Ed
.Pp
If instead some options are specified,
then the dhcpd daemon will be started with those options.
For example:
.Bd -literal -offset indent
-dhcpd_flags="-A abandoned" # for normal use: ""
+dhcpd_flags=-A abandoned
.Ed
.Pp
Other variables specify a simple YES or NO,
scripts installed by packages in the specified order.
For example:
.Bd -literal -offset indent
-pkg_scripts="dbus_daemon cupsd"
+pkg_scripts=dbus_daemon cupsd
.Ed
.Pp
This will run