initdefault has no effect

[D. Hugh Redelmeier]

| From: "Sharpe, Sam J" <sam.sharpe+lists.redhat at gmail.com>

| runlevel=$(/bin/awk -F ':' '($3 == "initdefault") && ($1 !~ /(#|;)/) { print $2 }' /etc/inittab)

Probably you meant ($1 !~ /^(#|;)/)

Simpler, I think:
  runlevel=`/bin/awk -F ':' '/^[^#;]/ && ($3 == "initdefault") { print $2 }' /etc/inittab`