Karmic: stop: Unknown instance

[Tom H]

> the scripts in /etc/init.d are supposed to be obsolete in Karmic, but the upstart
> system which is supposed to replace them only works with "start", and not
> for any other command:

> ==> service networking stop
> stop: Unknown instance:

> ==> stop networking
> stop: Unknown instance:

> ==> /etc/init.d/networking stop
>  * Deconfiguring network interfaces...
>  * Deconfiguring network interfaces...
>    ...done.

> ==> service networking start
> networking stop/waiting

> So, if /etc/init.d/networking is no more to be used, what am I supposed to
> do when I need to restart the network?

Normally:
If you have Network Manager running, networking is of no use to you
because it just runs "ifup -a" (for the scripts in /etc/init and
/etc/init.d) or "ifdown -a" (for the script in /init.d) and since, by
default, /e/n/i only has an entry for lo, ifup|ifdown has no effect.
You have to use network-manager.

In your case:
You must have an entry for your nic in /e/n/i so
"/etc/init.d/networking stop" ifdowns it. "/etc/init/networking.conf"
only has a start stanza so "stop networking" should not to work.

Why the missing stop stanza? No idea but it must be by design because
the start stanza in "/etc/init.d/networking" calls
"/etc/init/networking.conf" but the stop stanza in
"/etc/init.d/networking" calls ifdown.