[Bug 872220] Re: Fails to boot when there's problems with softraid

[draco]

Hi,

In my experience, one device used in an md array has been renumbered after upgrading from oneiric to precise.
At the first reboot, I've got the message 'Continue boot y/N' but can't enter anything.
After few seconds, I've got a busybox/initramfs prompt on TTY1, but without any further informations for misassembled array.
CTRL+D at prompt give me access to a root terminal so I can rename mdadm.conf and comment md array in fstab.
I do that because it was the last messages in dmesg but there was no warning about devices not found.
So, system boots fine, and then I could manualy :
- change mdadm.conf to reflect the change of named device/partition ( sdc --> sda).
- update initramfs and active mount in fstab.

I never though that making a 'simple' dist-updgrade could leave the system un-bootable without such admin (geek) skills !!
Maybe a kind of warning can be added on release notes for people using softraid.

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/872220

Title:
  Fails to boot when there's problems with softraid

Status in “mdadm” package in Ubuntu:
  Triaged

Bug description:
  Ubuntu 11.10 has a new feature that it warns you while booting if
  there's a program with the softraid.

  It tells you that a hard disk in the softraid is missing, then asks,
  on the console:

  Continue to boot? y/N

  But it ignores all keypresses. After 5 seconds or so it then times
  out, falls to the default "N" option, and dumps you to a emergency
  bash prompt, with no indication on how to proceed.

  The feature is a good idea, but not in the current broken state.

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