hi...thanx all of you for clearing out my previous doubts....but i have some more
in the following,
reload() {
echo -n $"Reloading cron daemon configuration: "
killproc crond -HUP
retval=$?
echo
return $RETVAL

1. why is echo used here without any arguments???
2.what does the argument -HUP do here?

this is the crond script....
any answers???

also if i have to write my own server startup script, what should i do?

__________________
the future is open

1. It appears that echo is just being used to throw a newline.
2. As for the kill -HUP. Take a look at a brief outlook from man -s 3head signal

SIGHUP 1 Exit Hangup (see termio(7I))

A Hangup tells most daemons to re-read their configuration files.

Keith