Bug#488804: merge messages into dmesg by default for exact playback of booting console

[jidanni@jidanni.org]

ma> that is pretty ridicolus, please think about it. dmesg just clears
ma> a kernel buffer. initramfs-tools is userspace has nothing todo
ma> there.
All I use is its
       dmesg - print or control the kernel ring buffer
print capability.

Thinking about it doesn't help, as we are in two different worlds. I
represent the simplest user who just feels bad that boot messages fly
by too fast to read, and has discovered where they are stored, in
/var/log, but is dismayed that only 90% of them are stored.

ma> checkout the debug bootparams in man initramfs-tools.

OK, but I just wish to first point out that the basic user cannot tell
the relationship between

         debug
              generates   lots   of   output.   It    writes    a    log    to
              /tmp/initramfs.debug.   Instead  when  invoked with an arbitrary
              argument  output  is  written  to  console.   Use  for   example
              "debug=vc".

on initramfs-tools(8), and

$ zgrep debug.*log \
        /usr/share/doc/linux-doc-2.6.25/Documentation/kernel-parameters.txt.gz
        debug           [KNL] Enable kernel debugging (events log level).

Of course it is very clear to the initramfs-tools(8) authors, but not
the basic user. So on initramfs-tools(8) it should be mentioned if
these are to be used e.g., at the lilo prompt, where I chose
2.6.25-2-686 debug S
and in single user mode, looked around for the /tmp/initramfs.debug
file mentioned, but did not find it.

Anyway, I'm just saying, as apparently in Debian, the messages that
fly by at boot are stored (in /var/log/). Please store 100% of them,
not 90% of them.

The missing 10% are apparently the initramfs-tools messages.

But one cannot be sure, as they flew by too fast.

The initramfs-tools(8) man page is nice but is mean for a whole
different level of user, not the simple user,

who only wants to read the messages that flew off too fast to read at
boot,

and does not wish to become a research expert to be able to. Thanks.

You see, I just want you to adjust some Debian defaults to make 100%
of what flew off get logged, not 90%. (For stock kernels.)

Anyway, booting above I saw no more initramfs-tools messages. Maybe
they are maybe they are now turned off by default. (If so you can
close this bug.)

P.S.,
$ set who initramfs-tools update-initramfs mkinitramfs
$ for i do man $i|tail -n 1; done
GNU coreutils 6.10                April 2008                            WHO(1)
                               Date: 2007/07/07             INITRAMFS-TOOLS(8)
$"                             $Date: 2006/10/12           UPDATE-INITRAMFS(8)
                              $Date: 2007/08/08 $               MKINITRAMFS(8)

Only the first looks good, the rest have extra $ and "Date:".