[Bug 576429] [NEW] wait-for-root has problems with mknod generated root-devices

[H.-R. Oberhage]

Public bug reported:

Binary package hint: initramfs-tools

Hello!

There's a long startup delay (until 'rootdelay' has passwd), when a
(root-)device is set up in the /dev-tree only.

This is (e.g.) the case, when the machine is started by 'lilo' and the
root-device given as device numbers like 0806 or whatever.
'parse_numeric' from scripts/functions then 'mknod's a "/dev/root"
device with the respective major and minor numbers.

When /dev/root is then passed to 'wait-for-root' this times out,
probably because there is no counterpart in sysfs or procfs and thus the
udev 'database'. So it always times out, before the boot process
continues.

It doesn't happen, when the same(!) computer is booted by GRUB  with a
reference to /dev/sda6 (or so).

This behaviour is new with 'lucid' ( - as is wait-for-root) and it is a
real nuissance. if something can be done, other than setting a shorter
'rootdelay', this should be fixed, please. Thanks.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.04
Package: initramfs-tools-bin 0.92bubuntu78
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.32-21.32-generic 2.6.32.11+drm33.2
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-21-generic i686
Architecture: i386
Date: Thu May  6 16:10:44 2010
LiveMediaBuild: Ubuntu 10.04 LTS "Lucid Lynx" - Release i386 (20100429)
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: initramfs-tools

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


** Tags: apport-bug i386 lucid

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wait-for-root has problems with mknod generated root-devices
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/576429
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