mountkernfs, mountvirtfs, and devpts.sh

[Bill Moseley <moseley@hank.org>]

Two part question (first was prompted by the second -- the second is my
real question).

Part 1:

On Debian Sid.

I see some bug reports on the initscripts package about
multiple init scripts doing the same thing:

laptop:/etc/init.d$ locate devpts.sh
/etc/init.d/devpts.sh
/etc/rcS.d/S35devpts.sh

laptop:/etc/init.d$ locate mountkern
/etc/init.d/mountkernfs
/etc/rcS.d/S35mountkernfs

laptop:/etc/init.d$ locate mountvirt
/etc/init.d/mountvirtfs
/etc/rcS.d/S02mountvirtfs

devpts.sh mounts:   /dev/pts
mountkernfs mounts: /dev/pts /dev/shm /sys /proc/bus/usb
mountvirtfs mounts: /dev/pts /dev/shm /sys /proc/bus/usb /proc

I assume devpts.sh is no longer needed.  What about mountkernfs and
mountvirtfs?  They seem to mount the same things, but at different
points in the boot/init process.  Can someone explain?


Part 2:

Here's what started this quest.  I get this message at boot, and I'm not
sure what's not working:

laptop:/etc/init.d# ./mountkernfs    
mount: wrong fs type, bad option, bad superblock on tmpfs,
       or too many mounted file systems


tmpfs is trying to mount but it's not configured:

laptop:/etc/init.d# fgrep TMPFS /boot/config-2.6.5-xfs-toshiba 
# CONFIG_TMPFS is not set

But it looks like it is:

laptop:/etc/init.d# fgrep tmpfs /proc/filesystems
nodev   tmpfs

the init.d script checks /proc/filesystems to determine if it can mount
the tmpfs.

laptop:/etc/init.d# mount -t shmfs shmfs /dev/shm
mount: fs type shmfs not supported by kernel

laptop:/etc/init.d# mount -t tmpfs shmfs /dev/shm
mount: wrong fs type, bad option, bad superblock on shmfs,
       or too many mounted file systems


Oh, I guess there is a...

Part 3:

laptop:/etc/init.d# mount
/dev/hda4 on / type xfs (rw)
proc on /proc type proc (rw)
sysfs on /sys type sysfs (rw)
devpts on /dev/pts type devpts (rw,gid=5,mode=620)

I assume I need devpts for virtual terminal support.  Is that a correct
assumption?


Thanks,

-- 
Bill Moseley
moseley@hank.org