Messages in this thread | | | From | Dave Cinege <> | Subject | [PATCH] Initrd Dynamic -- Initramfs's GrandDaddy...(and competition) | Date | Fri, 1 Nov 2002 06:05:12 -0500 |
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Linus,
I am submitting this for inclusion into the pre-2.6 tree. You've said 'yes' to initramfs. Maybe you'll like this 'ready to go' solution better.
A patch against 2.5.45 is here: http://ftp.psychosis.com/linux/initrd-dyn/kernelpatches/2.5.45/initrd_dynamic-2.5.45.diff.gz
It has been tested as well I can as 2.5.45 has a new bug in rd.c with initrd deallocation. It was tested with 2.5.44, A-1, no problems.
To find out if you 'like it' you can view the primary files involved here: They are already 'post-patched' 2.5.45: http://ftp.psychosis.com/linux/initrd-dyn/kernelpatches/2.5.45/do_mounts.c http://ftp.psychosis.com/linux/initrd-dyn/kernelpatches/2.5.45/initrd.c http://ftp.psychosis.com/linux/initrd-dyn/kernelpatches/2.5.45/untar.c
What this patch does: One or more tar and/or tar.gz archives can be loaded by a bootloader, and they will be extracted sequencially to a tmpfs (ramfs) root.
Rewrote the initrd handling and made the code more modular.
All legacy initrd functions have been removed from do_mounts.c.
do_mounts.c has been greatly cleaned up. (Now ~10K)
All new and legacy initrd related functions are now in initrd.c
We id both un/compressed images/archives and act accordingly.
Better error checking and printk messages
What this has that initramfs doesn't: Clean up and rewrite of the system already in place. The use of tar archives Multiple archive support Works good, right now
What initramfs has that this doesn't: Load image from a 'linked' kernel location. Uses CPIO archives
Why you should include this as the new tmpfs(ramfs) initial root loading solution:
More robust implementation.
Useful error checking and user output messages
The ability to leave legacy initrd infrasturture inplace via #ifdef's if needed.
do_mounts.c gets scrubbed up. (Until the day it's purged, why not!?!)
Tar is in wide spread (general audiences) use. CPIO is not. People have said Tar is bloated/complex. Tar == Read header. Determine type. Write file. CPIO == Read header. Determine type. Write file. (Look at untar.c. un-cpio'ing is no different. You decide.)
I was here first. ; ) (The first version of this was made in January 1998 using a minixfs on /dev/ram0)
What I still need to do: Add loading 'linked image' support ala initramfs (minor work) Clean some minor things. (Purge mount_tmpfs_root() ) Update docs and comments Test legacy 'load_ramdisk' style floppy support Purge anything people want gone (Legacy linuxrc root pivot, etc)
ALL OF THESE WILL BE DONE WITHIN *DAYS* IF YOU SHOW INTEREST
What you should do if you have no desire in this at all: Please, tell Dave 'no, not at all' so he can go to bed already!
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