event based initramfs

[Steve Langasek]

On Thu, May 17, 2012 at 09:37:03AM +0100, James Hunt wrote:
> The code for mountall is admittedly more complex than simply calling
> 'mount', but it has the following advantages:
> 
> - it actually performs error checking (unlike the initramfs mount code).
> - it provides user feedback on the operations via Plymouth.
> - it runs fsck and provides feedback to the user via Plymouth.

Though this is not a feature in the initramfs; in the initramfs we want to
do the bare minimum read-only mounts, pivot root, and get out of the way. 
It *must not* do the fsck before pivoting.

> - it supports delays and timeouts.
> - it emits Upstart events allowing jobs to react to mount changes.

I think it's pretty non-obvious how this is an advantage in the initramfs,
if one is thinking in terms of "mount it and get out of the way".  I think
you're *probably* right that this is useful, but I can't think of a specific
scenario where this matters for the initramfs.  Can you think of one?

-- 
Steve Langasek                   Give me a lever long enough and a Free OS
Debian Developer                   to set it on, and I can move the world.
Ubuntu Developer                                    http://www.debian.org/
slangasek at ubuntu.com                                     vorlon at debian.org
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