Re: Initramfs and /sbin/hotplug fun

[Mark Rustad <mrustad@gmail.com>]

On Jan 15, 2007, at 1:54 PM, Andrew Walrond wrote:

> Olaf Hering wrote:
>> Why do you need /sbin/hotplug anyway, just for firmware loading for a
>> non-modular kernel?
>
> I guess this is unusual, but FWIW...
>
> I have a custom distro and I was just looking for the easiest way  
> to create a bootable rescue pen-drive. So I just took a working  
> distro, added an init->sbin/init symlink, cpio'ed it into an  
> initramfs, and booted it up. Works a treat, except for the early  
> hotplug calls.

I have a kernel that needs to have early hotplug calls to load  
firmware. I just rolled my own simple hotplug scripts to only address  
that issue and have not had a problem since. The mdev in busybox that  
is in the gentoo initramfs didn't seem to be able to handle it, so I  
just made my own scripts. In my case I needed QLogic firmware so root  
could be on FC.

FWIW, it is a real PITA to not be able to build a monolithic kernel  
that can bring up root on its own. I will stipulate that I am an old- 
school guy that likes monolithic kernels, but I do feel that  
something has been lost. Yes, I am aware of the reasons for the  
change, else I would have written something when I was fighting the  
battle, but I still don't have to like it.

-- 
Mark Rustad, MRustad@mac.com