Bug#594189: initramfs-tools: environment variable to disable run_bootloader

[Stephen Powell <zlinuxman@wowway.com>]

On Tue, 24 Aug 2010 11:29:46 -0400 (EDT), Michael Prokop wrote:
> 
> I'm aware of this, though I'd prefer a clean interface and not hacks. :)
> 
> Especially since I'm not aware of a way how to chmod -x the files before
> installing the packages that fail during installation then. ;)
> 

I haven't been following the thread; so I don't know precisely what
installation problem you are having.  But
Joachim's version of lilo does contain a "bashism" in it's initramfs hook
which may be the cause of the installation failure.  It uses
"substring expansion", which works with the Bourne Again Shell (bash),
but not with the Bourne Shell or clones thereof (dash, ash, etc.).
This is partly my fault, since his initramfs hook is based on a template
which I provided which has the same problem.  I have reported the problem
to him, but so far I have not received a reply.

If this is the cause of the installation failure, temporarily change the
symlink /bin/sh to point to bash instead of dash.  This will allow the
package to install.  Then, change "#!/bin/sh" on line 1 of
/etc/initramfs/post-update.d/lilo to "#!/bin/bash" and change your
symlink /bin/sh to point back to dash, or whatever it used to be
pointing to.  But maybe this is not why you are having installation
problems.

-- 
  .''`.     Stephen Powell    
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