Failed to open /dev/null
 

Having an odd boot message with Ubuntu 10.04. I've had it since I first installed Ubuntu a few months back and I am getting tired of it slowing down my boot up time. :)

No luck on the Ubuntu forums or bug reports; no one seems to know what to do.

/dev/null does indeed exist.

It's apparently a known bug:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bug/575333

Suggestion in the thread that it is fixed in 10.10 and only an issue in 10.04.

My first thought even before seeing the bug was this is a timing thing. Your udevd-work is trying to do something before /dev/null is created. You might want to check your udev rules to see the ones that deal with "null" (not just /dev/null). I don't have an Ubuntu box so can't see the way Ubuntu creates null device in its rules.

How would I go about checking the udev rules?

In /etc/udev on RHEL/CentOS - not sure if they are in the same location on Ubuntu. There is a man page on RHEL/CentOS so may be on Ubuntu as well - type "man udev" to see if there is one then read what it has to say if so.

In case it helps: Slackware for one, is now putting udev rules in /lib/udev/rules.d so if yours aren't in /etc/udev/rules.d or similar then have a look in /lib/udev instead. I haven't got Ubuntu installed, or I'd have a look.

Good luck!

You say that like it's a bad thing...

Interestingly enough the problem has resolved itself (for now) with no effort on my part. I'll go an a udev rules hunt anyway in case it creeps up again.

My only complaint now is screen resolution during boot up. For a different thread, I suppose...