[gentoo-user] Re: Changing boot device with 2.6.36

[Jörg Schaible]

Nikos Chantziaras wrote:

> On 01/03/2011 07:43 PM, Jörg Schaible wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> starting with the 2.6.36-r5 kernel of the Gentoo sources my boot device
>> changes. With 2.6.35 and below it is alway /dev/sda3, with the new kernel
>> it seems that anything that is internally connected with USB is assigned
>> a device first. Since my computer has an internal media bay (and my
>> monitor has such a thing also) the first HD moves - it I take care it is
>> now /dev/sde3. However, if I forget to switch on the monitor and do this
>> later or if an USB stick is already plugged in at boot time, the HD gets
>> a different device number again.
>>
>> Can somebody else confirm such a behaviour with the 2.6.36 kernel and how
>> can this brought back to normal operation?
>
> This has been solved long ago: Label your filesystems and mount them by
> label.

I did this long ago, therefore I can switch between the old and new kernel 
easily.

> For example, don't put "/dev/sda3" in your fstab, but label that
> filesystem with a name like "root_fs" and use
> "/dev/disk/by-label/root_fs" in fstab.
>
> Ext2/3/4 filesystem can be labeled with the "e2label" tool.  For example:
>
>    e2label /dev/sda3 root_fs
>
> After that, modify your fstab accordingly.

And how does this help the kernel to find the root device where /etc/fstab 
is located ?

- Jörg

BTW: Yes, I will boot next time with a LABEL entry in the kernels boot 
option, but I still don't want a kernel that assigns devices in random 
order.