linux 2.4.5: initrd problems: /sbin/init not found (Was: Re: mosix and nt)

linux 2.4.5: initrd problems: /sbin/init not found (Was: Re: mosix and nt)

[Marijn Ros]

On Mon, 11 Jun 2001, Matthias Papesch wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I'm wondering what kind of filesystem do you exactly need on the cluster
> nodes?
>
> The way I understand it (correct me if I'm wrong) is, that MOSIX starts
> the process on the local node and then migrates the contents of the
> memory. So it should actually be enough if there is MOSIX kernel running
> with the user space tools available. This should be small enough (<8MB) to
> be used as a ramdisk.

This is the way I use it at home; a boot-floppy with a MOSIX-enabled linux
kernel (1.0.1/2.4.4 at the moment), and a ROMFS initrd image with a small
statically compiled /sbin/init C-program that sets up the network
interface and MOSIX. The kernel is about 450kb, the compressed initrd
image about 100kb.

However, when I try the same initrd image with linux 2.4.5 (with or
without the MOSIX-patch, enabled or not, compiled with gcc 2.95.2 on a
P75, run on a 486DX/33), it won't work. The kernel complains that
/sbin/init can not be found. It seems that the initialisation
restructuring broke automatic remounting of the initial ramdisk as
root-device (with root=/dev/rd/0). I had some luck when I copied my
/sbin/init to /linuxrc, as that file is run on the inial ramdisk. However,
I don't like that workaround.

Note that I have not filed a bugreport against kernel 2.4.5 (yet?), as I
don't trust my analysis of the problem, and also don't understand who
maintains the file init/main.c. However, I send a copy of this mail to the
linux-kernel mailing-list. Please send (a copy of) your reply to either
the mosix-list or my personal mail-address, as I follow linux-kernel only
through the KT summaries.

Bye,
	Marijn

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