** Description changed: - Binary package hint: mdadm + (also confirmed for 9.10 and 10.04) On a freshly installed ubuntu-7.10-alternate, with latest apt-get update. When the 'mdadm' package is installed, the system fails to boot successfully, and ends up at the initrd '(busybox)' prompt. Hardware: DELL 1950 - 1RU Server HDD: SAS - To get server booting again: + To get server booting again you need to restore the old initramfs: - Boot with ubuntu-7.10-alternate, and go through install steps up to 'partitioning'. - ALT-F2 to start other shell - 'fdisk -l' to see details of available drives. - mkdir /mnt/disk - mount -t ext3 /dev/sdb1 /mnt/disk - cd /mnt/disk/boot - mv initrd-<version>.img initrd-<version>.img-new - cp initrd-<version>.img.bak initrd-<version>.img - sync - reboot --- Diagnose: -> This is mdadm setting up arrays according to unreliable superblock information (device "minor" numbers, labels, hostnames) combined with the idea of fixing the unreliability by limiting array assembly with information from mdadm.conf (PARTITIONS, ARRAY, HOMEHOST lines) which just reassigns the unsolvable conflict handling problem to setup tools, admins and installers that have to creating the mdadm.conf files. And of course they fail. + In this case the initramfs ends up containing invalid ARRAY definitions + that disturbs the boot. + + Cure: Systematically preventing conflicts from arising instead of relying on mdadm.conf maintanance. -> comment #33
** Description changed: (also confirmed for 9.10 and 10.04) On a freshly installed ubuntu-7.10-alternate, with latest apt-get update. When the 'mdadm' package is installed, the system fails to boot successfully, and ends up at the initrd '(busybox)' prompt. Hardware: DELL 1950 - 1RU Server HDD: SAS To get server booting again you need to restore the old initramfs: - Boot with ubuntu-7.10-alternate, and go through install steps up to 'partitioning'. - ALT-F2 to start other shell - 'fdisk -l' to see details of available drives. - mkdir /mnt/disk - mount -t ext3 /dev/sdb1 /mnt/disk - cd /mnt/disk/boot - mv initrd-<version>.img initrd-<version>.img-new - cp initrd-<version>.img.bak initrd-<version>.img - sync - reboot --- Diagnose: -> This is mdadm setting up arrays according to unreliable superblock information (device "minor" numbers, labels, hostnames) combined with the idea of fixing the unreliability by limiting array assembly with information from mdadm.conf (PARTITIONS, ARRAY, HOMEHOST lines) which just reassigns the unsolvable conflict handling problem to setup tools, admins and installers that have to creating the mdadm.conf files. And of course they fail. In this case the initramfs ends up containing invalid ARRAY definitions that disturbs the boot. - Cure: - Systematically preventing conflicts from arising instead of relying on - mdadm.conf maintanance. -> comment #33 + Systematically prevent any conflicts from arising instead of relying on + mdadm.conf maintanance. -> UUID-based raid assembly described in comment + #33 -- [->UUIDudev] installing mdadm (or outdated mdadm.conf) breaks bootup https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/158918 You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu Bugs, which is subscribed to Ubuntu. -- ubuntu-bugs mailing list ubuntu-bugs@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-bugs
