Bug#457044: (pas de sujet)

[Jonas Smedegaard <dr@jones.dk>]

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On Wed, Jun 04, 2008 at 02:22:47PM +0200, tech@mediaforest.net wrote:
> Jonas Smedegaard a écrit :
>>
>> Those tools are different approaches indeed. How do you find them 
>> contradictory?  Please elaborate - I sincerely want to understand 
>> better.
>
> Sorry for being confusing. Saying contradictory I wasn't talking about 
> the tools themselves, but about the comments #43, #48, #53 and #58.

Ah, ok.

Perhaps I can help clarify:

Debian is a large system, containing big pile of packages that is tested 
that they do not break each other. The system is not, however, 
simplified so that e.g. there's only a single way to setup and boot 
Linux kernels.

For core booting, you have a choice of bootloader, ramdisk-generator, 
kernels and device handling.

If you dislike the confusion of the many choices (and us package 
maintainers disagreeing of what's best), then use the same as gets 
installed by default using a recent debian-installer. On IBM-compatible 
x86 systems that means the bootloader "grub", the ramdisk-generator 
"initramfs-tools", a kernel compiled and packaged by the Debian kernel 
team, and devices handled by udev.

If you want to investigate alternatives, then this mailinglist is *not* 
a common middleground, but biased towards their own favourite bot chain:

An active member of The Debian kernel team, Max, is also the maintainer 
of initramfs-tools. Max has a strong opinion on the state of the 
competing ramdisk-generator yaird. So strong an opinion that he would 
rather the package be removed from Debian than being used in its current 
state[1].

So here at this list you should expect only sceptical opinions on 
alternatives to the mainstream setup. Use mailinglists or file bugs tied 
to the respective alternative tool for positive opinions on them.


> As I am myself a bit confused about how to do to ensure a correct 
> reboot of my boxes, this "friendly battle" between developpers didn't 
> help me very much.

Agreed. And on this list I cannot help you further - you need to decide 
if you want to gain more info on your current setup by addressing the 
maintainers of the tools you use or might want to use. Or you need to 
change your setup to satisfy the maintainers of the mainstream tools 
for them to want to "waste time on you".

Or so it seems to me. I am biased :-P


> Anyway both of those tools seems very useful

Indeed. initramfs-tools and yaird has different qualities. Each has 
their good use IMHO.


> But my problem is still when a reboot is needed for distant machines, 
> now I'm too afraid about that to take the risk.

I see your problem. And I want to help. Just cannot do so here.


  - Jonas


[1] http://bugs.debian.org/457177

- -- 
* Jonas Smedegaard - idealist og Internet-arkitekt
* Tlf.: +45 40843136  Website: http://dr.jones.dk/

  - Enden er nær: http://www.shibumi.org/eoti.htm
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