Re: [gentoo-user] InitRAMFS - boot expert sought

[Michael Hampicke]

> Dracut is masked on ~amd64. Bugs me, as I'd rather use something like
> that than genkernel (I very much like building my own kernels; it
> helps me keep things lean, and keeps me familiar with the capabilities
> of current and future systems). But now I have to find time to learn
> how to use Genkernel.

I don't understand why people always say that they hate genkernel
because they like to build the kernel on their own. You still can do
this with genkernel. I've been doing it for years.

This is my workflow after I merged a new kernel

# copy old config to new kernel sources
% zcat /proc/config.gz > /usr/src/linux/.config

# enter source dir
% cd /usr/src/linux

# run make oldconfig (help you keep things lean, keeps you familiar with
the capabilities of current and future systems.....)
% make oldconfig

# compile kernel and modules, generate initrd, install to /boot and
/lib/modules, create symlinks in /boot
% genkernel all

# recompile 3rd party modules
% module-rebuild rebuild

You just have to tell genkernel not to "make mrproper" in
/etc/genkernel.conf - so that it actually uses your kernel config, and
in essence, let's you "build your own kernel". I also tell genkernel not
to run "make clean" - for a faster recompile if I have changed my kernel
config.

I love genkernel, it just makes life so much easier, you don't have
enter every command manually. And still keeps it the gentoo-way: you can
configure everything so that it does exactly what you wan't.

Just take a look at /etc/genkernel.conf
genkernel can do even more stuff for you.
For example include a copy of /etc/mdadm.conf into your initramfs so
that the initramfs can mount your software raid (even with metadata
higher than 0.90 :) - this is where the kernel raid auto assembly fails).
Or enable a splash theme for a graphical boot - if you like that sort of
thing.

I'm sure you're gonna love it to after you have used it for some time.