One component of linuxconf is called "askrunlevel". It takes control very early. A call to /sbin/askrunlevel must be placed at the end of your /etc/rc.d/rc.S file (or equivalent such as /etc/rc.d/rc.sysinit on redhat systems). This utility allows you to select a proper runlevel (logical operation mode) or to completly reconfigured your system even before the boot sequence is finished.
From this utility, you are allowed to ...
Linuxconf allows you to configure the workstation even before it is fully booted. This is a winner as it saves you from false start boot (often with an invalid network configuration).