[Bug 606373] [NEW] cloud-init output does not get to console when booted with pv-grub and ramdisk

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Binary package hint: cloud-init

cloud-init is run from an upstart job like:
| start on (mounted MOUNTPOINT=/ and net-device-up IFACE=eth0)
| task
| console output
| exec /usr/bin/cloud-init start

Recently, we've switched to using grub as the loader [1], for the
blueprint [2].

That change actually changed 3 things:
a.) used grub as the loader
b.) started using ramdisks again (and booting with root=LABEL=uec-rootfs)
c.) kernel command line changed from "root=/dev/sda1 ro 4" to "root=LABEL=uec-rootfs ro"

'b' and 'c' are because the kernel installed creates a ramdisk and
update-grub writes the ramdisk stanza for grub to read.

One of these changes has caused output  from cloud-init to not get to the console. (output is seen/collected with ec2-get-console-output).
cloud-init has code like:

    msg = "cloud-init running: %s. up %s seconds" % (now, uptime)
    sys.stderr.write(msg + "\n")
    sys.stderr.flush()

to report on the console how long it took to get to this point in the
boot cycle.  After the change above, it no longer is visible.

I've verified that :
 - ec2-run-instances ami-80e10ae9 --kernel aki-078e676e
   messages are seen
 - ec2-run-instances ami-80e10ae9
   messages are not.

aki-078e676e  ubuntu-maverick-i386-linux-image-2.6.32-305-ec2-v-2.6.32-305.9-kernel
ami-80e10ae9 ubuntu-maverick-daily-i386-server-20100716

So, it definitely was either using a ramdisk or using grub as the
loader.

Other notable information,
- output of cloud-config and cloud-run-user-script.conf *do* get to console.
- both cloud-config and cloud-run-user-script also have 'console output'
- cloud-config runs much later in boot: start on (filesystem and started rsyslogd)

I'm trying to determine which of the changes caused this regression.
--
[1] http://aws.typepad.com/aws/2010/07/use-your-own-kernel-with-amazon-ec2.html
[2] https://blueprints.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+spec/server-maverick-cloud-kernel-upgrades

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.10
Package: cloud-init 0.5.12-0ubuntu7
ProcVersionSignature: User Name 2.6.32-305.9-ec2 2.6.32.11+drm33.2
Uname: Linux 2.6.32-305-ec2 i686
Architecture: i386
Date: Fri Jul 16 16:27:28 2010
Ec2AMI: ami-80e10ae9
Ec2AMIManifest: ubuntu-images-testing-us/ubuntu-maverick-daily-i386-server-20100716.manifest.xml
Ec2AvailabilityZone: us-east-1c
Ec2InstanceType: m1.small
Ec2Kernel: aki-407d9529
Ec2Ramdisk: unavailable
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: cloud-init

** Affects: cloud-init (Ubuntu)
     Importance: High
         Status: Confirmed

** Affects: linux (Ubuntu)
     Importance: High
     Assignee: John Johansen (jjohansen)
         Status: Confirmed

** Affects: cloud-init (Ubuntu Maverick)
     Importance: High
         Status: Confirmed

** Affects: linux (Ubuntu Maverick)
     Importance: High
     Assignee: John Johansen (jjohansen)
         Status: Confirmed


** Tags: apport-bug ec2-images i386 iso-testing maverick server-mro
-- 
cloud-init output does not get to console when booted with pv-grub and ramdisk
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/606373
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