Re: dracut: Missing dependency on cpio (?)

[Adrian Bunk]

On Fri, Jan 23, 2026 at 08:25:51PM +0100, Paul Gevers wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> On Mon, 19 Jan 2026 13:01:10 +0100 Santiago Vila  wrote:
> > /usr/bin/dracut: line 2772: cpio: command not found
> > 
> > So it seems as if dracut had a missing dependency on cpio. Or maybe it fails
> > to detect that 3cpio is installed instead and keeps using cpio anyway. Or 
> > maybe
> > 3cpio should provide cpio and use the alternatives mechanism so that 
> > /usr/bin/cpio
> > exists and may be used. This is why I've put "?" in the subject. Please use
> > reassign if appropriate.
> > 
> > The error does not always happen, which is strange, but it happens often 
> > enough
> > to consider the issue as RC. I've put a bunch of failed build logs
> > here (for linux-signed-amd64) for reference:
> 
> I've had discussions on IRC on #debian-release about the current version of
> src:linux, mentioning this bug, because for some time during the past week
> src:linux was blocked by piuparts regressions where the same text was found
> as in this bug. It seems that the failed piuparts runs were retried and
> installing of the linux binaries is now marked as OK.
> 
> I'm very much not comfortable with the situation, which appear to me like an
> intermittent failure. If I understood waldi correctly the version of linux
> in unstable is the first to use dracut. Because of this bug report "error
> does not always happen" and the piuparts failures that turned OK, I have put
> a block on migration of linux until either this bug is fixed, or it's
> explained why migrating of linux with this issue present is OK. Please
> assume I don't know how packaging and installing linux works when
> explaining.
>...

Nothing of this looks specific to linux packaging:

  Package: dracut-core
  Depends: 3cpio | cpio, ...

cpio does provide a "cpio" program, 3cpio does not.
dracut calls "cpio".

This is a clear bug in dracut-core.

The "error does not always happen" is likely related to the fact that 
this will work when the cpio package already is/gets installed for a 
different reason (other dependencies, cpio is "Priority: important").

> Paul

cu
Adrian

Re: dracut: Missing dependency on cpio (?)

[Paul Gevers]

Hi,

On Mon, 19 Jan 2026 13:01:10 +0100 Santiago Vila  wrote:

/usr/bin/dracut: line 2772: cpio: command not found

So it seems as if dracut had a missing dependency on cpio. Or maybe it fails
to detect that 3cpio is installed instead and keeps using cpio anyway. Or maybe
3cpio should provide cpio and use the alternatives mechanism so that 
/usr/bin/cpio
exists and may be used. This is why I've put "?" in the subject. Please use
reassign if appropriate.

The error does not always happen, which is strange, but it happens often enough
to consider the issue as RC. I've put a bunch of failed build logs
here (for linux-signed-amd64) for reference:


I've had discussions on IRC on #debian-release about the current version 
of src:linux, mentioning this bug, because for some time during the past 
week src:linux was blocked by piuparts regressions where the same text 
was found as in this bug. It seems that the failed piuparts runs were 
retried and installing of the linux binaries is now marked as OK.


I'm very much not comfortable with the situation, which appear to me 
like an intermittent failure. If I understood waldi correctly the 
version of linux in unstable is the first to use dracut. Because of this 
bug report "error does not always happen" and the piuparts failures that 
turned OK, I have put a block on migration of linux until either this 
bug is fixed, or it's explained why migrating of linux with this issue 
present is OK. Please assume I don't know how packaging and installing 
linux works when explaining.


Any Release Team member that is convinced migration is fine can unblock 
linux before I react, no need to wait for me.


Paul



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