[Bug 1328299] [NEW] update-initramfs fails to manage a RAID array declaration in mdadm.conf

Mon Jun 9 23:01:23 UTC 2014

Public bug reported:

I configured an md RAID1 array to host users' data (intent is to mount formatted RAID volume at /home at boot).
I first simply rebooted  the machine to see if array was starting, and it was, but was always getting a /dev/md127 pointer instead of the /dev/md0 I had configured.

So, I searched the web and found that I had to save array configuration in /etc/mdadm/mdadm.conf.
Rebooted again and still, array would start with a /dev/md127 pointer.

I then ran update-initramfs but got the following warning :

W: mdadm: the array /dev/md/mrblack:0 with UUID 8dec57a9:f62b8cd2:bc2d6172:cc0df127
W: mdadm: is currently active, but it is not listed in mdadm.conf. if
W: mdadm: it is needed for boot, then YOUR SYSTEM IS NOW UNBOOTABLE!
W: mdadm: please inspect the output of /usr/share/mdadm/mkconf, compare
W: mdadm: it to /etc/mdadm/mdadm.conf, and make the necessary changes.

After many modification attempts on mdadm.conf, I realized that update-
initramfs would actually only consider an ARRAY line in that file, if it
exposed an array's UUID, and only with the keyword UUID in upper case
(while mdadm.conf's man page shows only the main keywords like DEVICE,
ARRAY, HOMEHOST, .... in upper case).

Anyway, I was happy I had finally got rid of the warning, but it didn't
help : this time, array would not start at all at boot ! .... although a
simple "sudo mdadm -As" would manually start the array without problem
afterwards.

All in all, the only configuration that paradoxically worked was
commenting all devices and array declarations in mdadm.conf (as you can
see in mdadm.conf file attached), until update-initramfs said :

W: mdadm: /etc/mdadm/mdadm.conf defines no arrays.

Now, at boot, mdadm scans for all devices, gets information only from
the superblocks and starts the array correctly.

My guess is both initramfs-tools and mdadm have problems at managing
mdadm.conf file correctly, or at least there are incompatibilities
between each other's way of doing things => I'll affect the report to
both.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.10
Package: initramfs-tools 0.103ubuntu0.2.2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.5.0-48.49-lowlatency 3.5.7.31
Uname: Linux 3.5.0-48-lowlatency x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
ApportVersion: 2.6.1-0ubuntu13
Architecture: amd64
Date: Mon Jun  9 23:57:20 2014
InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-05-26 (379 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu-Studio 12.10 "Quantal Quetzal" - Release amd64 (20121017.1)
MarkForUpload: True
PackageArchitecture: all
SourcePackage: initramfs-tools
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

** Affects: initramfs-tools (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New

** Affects: mdadm (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New

** Tags: amd64 apport-bug initramfs-tools mdadm quantal

** Attachment added: "Final (working) mdadm.conf file"
   https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1328299/+attachment/4128492/+files/mdadm.conf

** Also affects: mdadm (Ubuntu)
   Importance: Undecided
       Status: New

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1328299

Title:
  update-initramfs fails to manage a RAID array declaration in
  mdadm.conf

Status in “initramfs-tools” package in Ubuntu:
  New
Status in “mdadm” package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  I configured an md RAID1 array to host users' data (intent is to mount formatted RAID volume at /home at boot).
  I first simply rebooted  the machine to see if array was starting, and it was, but was always getting a /dev/md127 pointer instead of the /dev/md0 I had configured.

  So, I searched the web and found that I had to save array configuration in /etc/mdadm/mdadm.conf.
  Rebooted again and still, array would start with a /dev/md127 pointer.

  I then ran update-initramfs but got the following warning :

  W: mdadm: the array /dev/md/mrblack:0 with UUID 8dec57a9:f62b8cd2:bc2d6172:cc0df127
  W: mdadm: is currently active, but it is not listed in mdadm.conf. if
  W: mdadm: it is needed for boot, then YOUR SYSTEM IS NOW UNBOOTABLE!
  W: mdadm: please inspect the output of /usr/share/mdadm/mkconf, compare
  W: mdadm: it to /etc/mdadm/mdadm.conf, and make the necessary changes.

  After many modification attempts on mdadm.conf, I realized that
  update-initramfs would actually only consider an ARRAY line in that
  file, if it exposed an array's UUID, and only with the keyword UUID in
  upper case (while mdadm.conf's man page shows only the main keywords
  like DEVICE, ARRAY, HOMEHOST, .... in upper case).

  Anyway, I was happy I had finally got rid of the warning, but it
  didn't help : this time, array would not start at all at boot ! ....
  although a simple "sudo mdadm -As" would manually start the array
  without problem afterwards.

  All in all, the only configuration that paradoxically worked was
  commenting all devices and array declarations in mdadm.conf (as you
  can see in mdadm.conf file attached), until update-initramfs said :

  W: mdadm: /etc/mdadm/mdadm.conf defines no arrays.

  Now, at boot, mdadm scans for all devices, gets information only from
  the superblocks and starts the array correctly.

  My guess is both initramfs-tools and mdadm have problems at managing
  mdadm.conf file correctly, or at least there are incompatibilities
  between each other's way of doing things => I'll affect the report to
  both.

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.10
  Package: initramfs-tools 0.103ubuntu0.2.2
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.5.0-48.49-lowlatency 3.5.7.31
  Uname: Linux 3.5.0-48-lowlatency x86_64
  NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
  ApportVersion: 2.6.1-0ubuntu13
  Architecture: amd64
  Date: Mon Jun  9 23:57:20 2014
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-05-26 (379 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu-Studio 12.10 "Quantal Quetzal" - Release amd64 (20121017.1)
  MarkForUpload: True
  PackageArchitecture: all
  SourcePackage: initramfs-tools
  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

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