If you or a system configuration application put a 'rw' option in /etc/fstab
on the ROOT Filesystem '/' by mistake then you do a mkinitrd, then lilo
then you are in big troubles at next boot with the logic in /etc/rc.sysinit
because at boot the ROOTFS is already mounted RW and Fsck cannot be done. It
returns the error :
" /dev/hda7 is mounted. e2fsck: Cannot continue, aborting.
Failed to check filesystem. Do you want to repair the errors? (Y/N)
(beware, you can loose data)"
and then you are trapped in an endless reboot cycle because sysinit will
always ask to repair an error that does not exist ... :)
The solutions are one or more of the following :
* dont let mkinitrd create initrd images with ROOTFS option rw in /etc/fstab
by default and give an option to do it
* allow it but warn strongly the user that it is at its own risks (a newby
cannot repair such an error !!)
* change the logic in /etc/rc.sysinit ie: DO NOT TRY to FSCK ROOTFS IF IT IS
ALREADY MONTED RW AND ask the user if he wants to correct the ROOTFS FSTAB
OPTION now (that would be nice for newbies such an automatic repair : correct
fstab + mount / and /boot + mkinitrd + lilo/grub)
* Beware : it's really very simple to put bad default options in the fstab...
maybe linuxconf and webmin could handle these particular cases with a warning
to the user
Pascal
Current packages used :
kernel-enterprise-2.4.17.22mdk-1-1mdk
mkinitrd-3.1.6-27mdk
initscripts-6.40.2-30mdk
devfsd-1.3.24-8mdk
