Bug#421701: initrd-tools are not needed for etch's kernels
Package: initrd-tools
Version: 0.1.84.2
Severity: minor
Tags: patch
The package Description says:
"tools to create initrd image for prepackaged Linux kernel
This package contains tools needed to generate an initrd image suitable
for booting a prepackaged Linux kernel image (as shipped with the Debian
main distribution). It does not cater for other uses of initrd at the
moment."
As far as as know [1] initrd-tools are no more needed for current Debian
kernels.
Having initrd-tools installed will by default generates initrd type boot RAM
disks (unless not configured differently of course) which are not compatible
with uswsusp, that requires initramfs images. Thus deinstalling or
deconfiguring initrd-tools is necessary when using uswsusp.
So I'd suggest to change the description as follows, so that people can
deinstall initrd-tools:
"tools to create initrd image for older prepackaged Linux kernel
This package contains tools needed to generate an initrd image suitable
for booting older prepackaged Linux kernel images (as shipped with the
oldstable sarge Debian main distribution). It does not cater for other
uses of initrd at the moment."
I do not know the new initramfs tools work on all the platforms for the shipped
2.6 kernel in etch - thus this should probably be verified before - or
whether they're even only necessary for the older 2.4er kernel. This should be
verified in order to provide a precise package description.
*t
[1] http://kernel-handbook.alioth.debian.org/ch-initramfs.html
-- System Information:
Debian Release: lenny/sid
APT prefers testing
APT policy: (500, 'testing')
Architecture: i386 (i686)
Kernel: Linux 2.6.18-4-686 (SMP w/1 CPU core)
Locale: LANG=C, LC_CTYPE=C (charmap=ANSI_X3.4-1968)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/bash
Versions of packages initrd-tools depends on:
hi coreutils [fileutils] 5.97-5.3 The GNU core utilities
ii cpio 2.7-1 GNU cpio -- a program to manage ar
ii cramfsprogs 1.1-6 Tools for CramFs (Compressed ROM F
ii dash 0.5.3-7 The Debian Almquist Shell
hi fileutils 5.97-5.3 The GNU file management utilities
ii libdevmapper1.02 2:1.02.08-1 The Linux Kernel Device Mapper use
hi util-linux 2.12r-19 Miscellaneous system utilities
initrd-tools recommends no packages.
-- no debconf information
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