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Author: Andrew McGlashan
Date:  
To: dng
Subject: Re: [DNG] Upgrade problem [ ascii -> beowulf ] failed to boot, left at initramfs shell -- with fix and query


On 8/7/20 10:07 pm, Hendrik Boom wrote:
> On Wed, Jul 08, 2020 at 06:14:51PM +1000, Andrew McGlashan via Dng wrote:
>>
>>
>> On 8/7/20 7:31 am, Alexander Bochmann wrote:
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> ...on Tue, Jul 07, 2020 at 02:00:38AM +1000, Andrew McGlashan via Dng wrote:
>>>
>>> > After the dist-upgrade, it failed to boot and remained at the ministrants shell environment after having complained about not being able to find the /usr file system via it's UUID.
>>>
>>> I have a system mostly like this (minus mdraid) with split root and /usr
>>> on lvm each, and didn't run into your problem.
>>>
>>> My fstab uses /dev/mapper device names instead of UUIDs, but I don't see
>>> why that should make a difference, seeing as it isn't used in the initramfs.
>>
>> Apparently with initramfs-tools it will try to mount /usr if it is in /etc/fstab ... not being able to mount /usr stopped normally boot from progressing further.
>>
>> Using the /dev/mapper device name would likely have been just as good, but I'm not sure as I didn't try that; I adjusted the /usr/share/initramfs-tools/scripts/local-top/lvm2 file
>> to specifically activate the lv so it could be found to be mounted as it should have been.
>>
>>> (On the other hand, I usually use UUIDs too, so there might be a reason it
>>> looks that way, and I just don't remember about it right now...)
>>
>> Yes, that makes sense.
>>
>> I would think that you fixed the problem by using the /dev/mapper
>> entry and I fixed it in the lvm2 script.
>
>
> I quite agree. There's a bug that needs fixing for Devuan, but not
> Debian.
> I may delay upgrading until it's fixed.


Not sure it will get fixed... :(
 - it seems that the problem is a bit of an edge case and won't effect anybody whom doesn't split /usr from root.
 - if they have split them and they don't "merge" them,
     - then the problem /may/ only arise if UUIDs are used for mount reference in /etc/fstab.


I don't really like my fix, but I'll probably merge /usr into root myself next time I'm onsite where that machine lives to avoid future issues.

> My /boot is on an old-style RAID by itself, so either copy can be used
> directly.
>
> My /usr, by the way, is on lvm2 on RAID.
> Do I need both adjustments?


I would think that the /dev/mapper/VG-LV in /etc/fstab would probably be fine.

Otherwise, expand the root file system LV (hopefully you have space), boot from a LIVE USB and move /usr back to root as well as remove the /usr entry in your /etc/fstab file.

Once /usr is back inside the root filesystem, then there is no need to keep the /usr lv.

Cheers
A.