Bug#697368: /usr/sbin/mkinitramfs: root /dev/nbd0p2 missing nbd /sys/block/ entry

[Ian Campbell <ijc@hellion.org.uk>]

Package: initramfs-tools
Version: 0.109
Severity: normal
File: /usr/sbin/mkinitramfs

Dear Maintainer,

I was attempting to install Wheezy on an armel TS-419PII with an nbd root and
mkinitramfs aborted with:

Jan  4 12:47:32 in-target: update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-3.2.0-
4-kirkwood
Jan  4 12:47:32 in-target: mkinitramfs: for root /dev/nbd0p2 missing nbd /sys/b
lock/ entry
Jan  4 12:47:32 in-target: mkinitramfs: workaround is MODULES=most
Jan  4 12:47:32 in-target: mkinitramfs: Error please report the bug
Jan  4 12:47:32 in-target: update-initramfs: failed for /boot/initrd.img-3.2.0-
4-kirkwood with 1.

Note that I am reporting this bug from another system. The problematic system
has installed (in /target from the d-i PoV):

ii  initramfs-tool 0.109        all          generic modular initramfs generat

AFAICT MODULES=most is already in effect:

# grep MODULES= /etc/initramfs-tools/initramfs.conf 
MODULES=most

I also retried after installing nbd-client in the target, nothing changed.

Other info from the target system, all chroot'd to /target with /proc, /dev
and /sys bind mounted into the chroot:

# uname -a
Linux celaeno-1 3.2.0-4-kirkwood #1 Debian 3.2.32-1 armv5tel GNU/Linux

# ls /sys/block/
mtdblock0  mtdblock3  nbd0   nbd11  nbd14  nbd3  nbd6  nbd9
mtdblock1  mtdblock4  nbd1   nbd12  nbd15  nbd4  nbd7
mtdblock2  mtdblock5  nbd10  nbd13  nbd2   nbd5  nbd8

# ls /sys/block/nbd0/
alignment_offset  discard_alignment  nbd0p1  pid    removable  stat
bdi		  ext_range	     nbd0p2  power  ro	       subsystem
capability	  holders	     nbd0p3  queue  size       trace
dev		  inflight	     nbd0p5  range  slaves     uevent

# lsmod  | grep nbd
nbd                     8651  4 

# ls /dev/nbd*
/dev/nbd0    /dev/nbd0p5  /dev/nbd12  /dev/nbd2  /dev/nbd6
/dev/nbd0p1  /dev/nbd1	  /dev/nbd13  /dev/nbd3  /dev/nbd7
/dev/nbd0p2  /dev/nbd10   /dev/nbd14  /dev/nbd4  /dev/nbd8
/dev/nbd0p3  /dev/nbd11   /dev/nbd15  /dev/nbd5  /dev/nbd9

Looks at least a little like:
   http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=657955

The TS-419 only supports netconsole install so I can't add modules=partman-nbd
to the kernel command line. Instead after ssh to installer@host I drop to a
shell and run:
  anna-install partman-nbd
  apt-install nbd-client

(nb apt-install wouldn't take affect until some point after the failure)

Thanks,
Ian.

-- Package-specific info:
< all snipped because it was from the system I'm reporting from. >