Here's what's happening.
I can install firebird 1.5.3SS or 2.0rc4SS (both nptl and old threads
versions) successfully and connect to the example database or
databases which I create.
I can install the fireruby adapter and rails, and everything works as
it should. At this time netstat -an | grep 3050 shows 3 or 4 processes.

Now, bear with me if you would for a few details. Slax uses unionFS
to merge filesystems. In Firebird 1.5.3, I create a /etc/rc.d/init.d
directory to allow creation of an init file which works to start and
stop the server after initialization, so all is right in my world at
this point.
Before suggesting CS, it looks like firebird CS isn't going to
meet my needs as I need to use firebird with fireruby and the rails
ActiveRecord adapter, which is too bad because the CS version doesn't
have any initialization problem across reboot.

What I can't get working (yet) is a correct setup after reboot. I
create a slax module of all the firebird changes, including changes
made to /etc/rc.d/rc.inet2 which directs firebird to start. Now
here's where the fun begins.

Firebird doesn't start at boot, and doesn't write to the firebird.log
I get the can't start message if I invoke the rc.firebird start.
I run ldconfig to reload the so cache, but that does no good.
ldd fbserver / fbguard shows no problems that I can tell, no
complaints, no missing libs
netstat -an | grep 3050 shows no processes
/etc/services contains the gds line
/etc/inet.d DOES NOT contain any gds server configuration - per the
scripts - From what I can tell - SS does not use inetd, only CS does -
is this correct?
The socket under /var/run is present and looks to have the correct
permissions.

Depending on whether I'm running 1.5.3 or 2.0rc4 - I can change the
permissions of some of the files under /opt/firebird and get firebird
working, OR
I can reinstall firebird at any time and it works immediately.

But then, if I change the file permissions BACK to what they were at
startup, firebird still works.

Any ideas?