Bug#360893: udev takes too long to create /dev/hda... and system drops to a shell

[Nicola Manini <Nicola.Manini@mi.infm.it>]

> > The kernel 2.6.8-2-686 cannot use the current udev but boots fine,
> > except that X does not start, since it finds no mouse.
> sure there you would need to load mousedev by hand or have
> it listed in /etc/modules..

The first option works fine, the second option lets X come up, but the
mouse is not responding.

> > >which version of initramfs-tools do you use?
> > >aka output of:
> > >dpkg -l initramfs-tools
> > 
> > ii  initramfs-tool 0.53c          tools for generating an initramfs
> 
> please try out the unstable initramfs-tools version 0.59b

I did: complete disaster.

After the udev checks, the scrips come up with a message "Waiting for the
root filesystem" or something of that kind.  Except that, afterwards, the
/dev/hd* entries are never generated. Of course, after a few minutes the
scripts drop out to a shell, but further waiting/exiting does not help.  I
left the computer up all night, with no success.

So, I decided I had better go back to initramfs-tool 0.53c , but that also
wouldn't help!  I even forced a purge of both udev and initramfs-tool and
reinstalled them, but the unbootability of kernel 2.6.15  persists!

Also, the same yesterday unseen message about "Waiting..." pops up.  This
is extramely surprising, as I checked that I have successfully downgraded
to
ii initramfs-tools 0.53c tools for generating an initramfs
Indeed, by booting on 2.6.8, when I
grep Wait /usr/share/initramfs-tools/scripts/*
I get nothing.
However, when my 2.6.15 boot fails and I drop to the shell, instead I see
that /scripts/local includes that message Waiting....

It goes as if the damn initramfs-tools 0.59b got somewhere hidden in the
system and comes back, with very bad effects...

Thank you for any help,
				Nick