Thibaut, This is completely wrong, from a UNIX point of view. "/etc" (or anything under "/etc") has never meant to be put aside "/", and whatever UNIX OS you use, if you want to do this it's both risky and tricky. I suggest you take a look at Google searching for "/etc on separate partition", you'll see various explanations about why it's wrong. Basically, /etc contains the early startup scripts, and putting /etc anywhere else than "/" (or even part of it) would be equally as dangerous as putting parts of "/sbin" on another partition. These are parts of the core files needed to boot so they have to be on the same disk. That's why they're so compact (disk space), and that's why there is a "/usr"... hi, that may well be the wisdom for "/etc". so let's take that particular dir out of the equation ... my example seems to have confused matters, and folks are focusing on the "/etc" usage, rather than the disks-not-mounting issue ... are you saying that NO service to be launched at Startup can have any of its config, or other, data (/etc, /usr/, or anywhere else) on any drive OTHER than the boot drive? i'd honestly be surprised if that is the case ... if not, then the problem is, per my example, how to get SystemStarter to *DELAY* trying to launch any/those services UNTIL diskarbitrationd has VERIFIED that all drives have finished mounting ... the real issue is *how* to prevent SystemStarter trying to start up any services until drives have finished mounting. Hi, are you starting Postfix from /System/Library/StartupItems ? Have you tried moving it into /Library/StartupItems ? Not sure if it will make a difference, it is far too early to remember what kicks what off Let me know how you get on, and when I'm more awake I might have a better solution :) Sam, Its not any issue of WHICH service, or in which path, rather, as above, its the wait-for-the-drives thing ... richard _______________________________________________ darwin-kernel mailing list | darwin-kernel@lists.apple.com Help/Unsubscribe/Archives: http://www.lists.apple.com/mailman/listinfo/darwin-kernel Do not post admin requests to the list. They will be ignored.