Re: [gentoo-user] Dracut and how to specify names

[John Covici]

On Fri, 03 Jan 2020 02:27:22 -0500,
Dale wrote:
>
> John Covici wrote:
> > On Thu, 02 Jan 2020 21:57:29 -0500,
> > Dale wrote:
> >> Howdy,
> >>
> >> I'm trying to rebuild a kernel to include new options, see other
> >> thread.  I got the kernel built but dracut is giving me grief.  I hate
> >> that thing and when a previous way that worked no longer works, it
> >> doesn't help me like it any more.  Still, it is what it is even if I
> >> don't like it.  I read the man page, the Gentoo wiki and tried different
> >> methods but it just refuses to build a init thingy that I need.  It
> >> either fails right away or gets to the end and errors out without
> >> completing.
> >>
> >> I name my kernels and such this way:
> >>
> >> root@fireball /usr/src/linux # ls -al /boot/kernel*
> >> -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 7061552 Oct 14  2018 /boot/kernel-4.18.12-1
> >> -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 7082032 May 15  2019 /boot/kernel-4.19.40-1
> >> -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 7102512 Jan  2 19:46 /boot/kernel-4.19.40-2
> >> -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 5858496 Jun 17  2016 /boot/kernel-4.5.2-1
> >> root@fireball /usr/src/linux #
> >>
> >> I copy the kernels from the /usr/src/linux directory by hand as I've
> >> always done.  I name them starting with kernel and then add the kernel
> >> version with a sequence number on the end.  In the past, I've made it to
> >> -4 before getting what I need.  Right now, I'm working on 4.19.40-2 and
> >> building a init thingy for it.  This is how the init thingys end up, in
> >> the past anyway:
> >>
> >>
> >> root@fireball /usr/src/linux # ls -al /boot/initramfs*
> >> -rw------- 1 root root 7752134 Oct 15  2018 /boot/initramfs-4.18.12-1.img
> >> -rw------- 1 root root 8560993 May 15  2019 /boot/initramfs-4.19.40-1.img
> >> -rw------- 1 root root 5377395 May 20  2016 /boot/initramfs-4.5.2-1.img
> >> root@fireball /usr/src/linux #
> >>
> >>
> >> What I need, the proper command with options to tell dracut I want to
> >> build a init thingy for 4.19.40-2.  I've tried many different ways but
> >> none of them work.  This includes commands I've used in the past that
> >> did work.  If I have to specify the init thingy name and the location of
> >> the kernel modules directory, that's fine.  I keep commands like this in
> >> a file to refer back to because I do tend to forget specifics but in
> >> this case, it seems dracut changed something.  Previous commands are not
> >> working. 
> >>
> >> Does anyone know how to accomplish this task?  Hopefully something that
> >> will work even if dracut changes something with its defaults.  I figure
> >> if I tell it all it needs to know, then it should work even if dracut
> >> changes the default method.  I just can't seem to figure out what method
> >> to use here.  Maybe I'm missing a option or something. 
> >>
> >> Thanks much. 
> > I think dracut uses the name of the /lib/modules directory, so just
> > execute dracut "" <module directory name> such as in my case
> > 4.19.85-gentoo  .  If that does not work post here, maybe you have
> > spaces in your directory name, if so try using double quotes around
> > it.
> >
>
>
> I decided to go back to a older version, just to see if it works.  The
> first example I had saved didn't work but the second did.  First was
> likely from a much older version of dracut.  Do you know what changed
> between dracut-046-r1 and dracut-048-r1?  I ran into this once before
> when a major version number changed. 
>
> One reason I'd like to be able to specify everything is to avoid changes
> in future versions.  That way I can use the same command each time
> unless they completely change everything which I'm sure I'd read about
> long before I needed to use it.  Just has a example:
>
> dracut /boot/<kernel name> <initramfs name> -k <path to kernel modules>
>
> With that, it knows where the kernel is, what to name the init thingy
> and where to find the kernel modules.  Thing is, I can't find a way to
> do it that way with what I see in the man page or the wiki.  I even
> looked on non-Gentoo sites and didn't find anything like this. 
>
> I did eventually help it find the modules.  Then it ran into another
> issue that even google couldn't find.  I don't mean find a solution, it
> couldn't find the problem either.  It returned zero, 0, results.  I was
> floored.  It's rare to see google return a stupid look.  ROFL  I also
> tried renaming the kernel to see if that would help.  No change.  I know
> it is picky on names but one would think it would stay the same. 
> Finding something with kernel on the front shouldn't be to hard. ;-)
>
> May have to just bang away until I get lucky then document the new way. 
> Whatever that way is.
>
> Thanks.

I think you are over complicating things, when I use dracut, I don't
specify any of those parameters, just the init thingy name which I
usually leave blank and the name of the  kernel I want to use, dracut
finds everything fine.  Why not do it that way and rename afterwards,
if you don't like the name.

-- 
Your life is like a penny.  You're going to lose it.  The question is:
How do
you spend it?

         John Covici wb2una
         covici@××××××××××.com