Re: [gentoo-user] Kernel doesn't accept any initramfs

[J. Roeleveld]

On Thursday, March 26, 2020 7:50:29 AM CET andrey.vul@×××××.com wrote:
> On Wed, Mar 25, 2020 at 8:23 AM J. Roeleveld <joost@××××××××.org> wrote:
> > On Tuesday, March 24, 2020 10:57:59 PM CET andrey.vul@×××××.com wrote:
> > > On Tue, Mar 24, 2020 at 2:45 AM J. Roeleveld <joost@××××××××.org> wrote:
> > > > On Tuesday, March 24, 2020 4:55:49 AM CET andrey.vul@×××××.com wrote:
> > > > > I've somehow built a kernel that won't accept any initramfs. To
> > > > > elaborate, it hangs in shell in dracut and panicks with a minimal
> > > > > initramfs as if it rejects the initramfs entirely and tries to boot
> > > > > an
> > > > > lvm volume, which of course, fails.
> > > > >
> > > > > Kernel config:
> > > > > http://sprunge.us/tqz3BM
> > > > >
> > > > > The minimal initramfs is described by the file listing
> > > > > http://sprunge.us/GQVbqc
> > > > > and init script http://sprunge.us/YHWY9Z , though this script is of
> > > > > limited use since even with `exec sh` in the first non-comment line,
> > > > > the kernel doesn't follow through.
> > > > >
> > > > > Thoughts?
> > > >
> > > > Please provide the info as attachments instead of temporary links.
> >
> > Few thoughts:
> >
> > 1) Are you certain your initramfs includes everything? My "config" file is
> > a lot longer.
>
> Yes, and it is the absolute bare minimum necessary.

Ok, I don't use static binaries, simply use a ldd-script to generate the 
shared libs-list for the config.

> > 2) How are you generating the initramfs?
>
> /usr/src/linux/usr/gen_init_cpio /usr/src/initramfs/files.list | xz -z

Have you checked all files are included after this?

> > /boot/intramfs-....img
> >
> > 3) how are you adding it to the bootloader?
>
> Grub's default form. To elaborate, the usual method grub does when
> generating a linux entry in grub-mkconfig.

Did you manage to find out if the initramfs file was actually added to the 
correct entry?

> > 4) Have you tried embedding the initramfs into the kernel?
>
> Yes, and that made it work. Weird how it didn't work not embedded into
> the kernel.
> On further thought, it worked after a couple of debugging iterations.
> Could it have been the bugs in the script at fault?

Perhaps, but I suggested this as it's the only way I could make it work on my 
old laptop. "grub-mkconfig" only matches kernels and initramfs files together 
if they follow a specific naming convention.


> > Also, can you provide the kernel messages leading to and including the
> > panic? (Either full text or a clear photo taken with a
> > camera/phone/tablet)
> Well, the two panics were either trying to kill init or the familiar
> "VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(0,0)". Kernel
> framebuffer load reset grub's high res console and the panic took over
> the screen so messages right before would've been impossible to
> extract without something like a serial console.


I tend to disable the framebuffer and screen cleaning until I have a working 
boot.
And when it boots, I tend to forget enabling all that as I have more important 
things to do.

--
Joost