root@riposo:/boot# mkinitrd -c -m ahci:ext3 -k 2.6.36.1
OK: /lib/modules/2.6.36.1/kernel/drivers/ata/libahci.ko added.
OK: /lib/modules/2.6.36.1/kernel/drivers/ata/ahci.ko added.
OK: /lib/modules/2.6.36.1/kernel/fs/mbcache.ko added.
OK: /lib/modules/2.6.36.1/kernel/fs/jbd/jbd.ko added.
OK: /lib/modules/2.6.36.1/kernel/fs/ext3/ext3.ko added.
6355 blocks
/boot/initrd.gz created.
Be sure to run lilo again if you use it.

root@riposo:/boot# ls -R initrd-tree/lib/modules/2.6.36.1/kernel/
initrd-tree/lib/modules/2.6.36.1/kernel/:
drivers/ fs/

initrd-tree/lib/modules/2.6.36.1/kernel/drivers:
ata/

initrd-tree/lib/modules/2.6.36.1/kernel/drivers/ata:
ahci.ko libahci.ko

initrd-tree/lib/modules/2.6.36.1/kernel/fs:
ext3/ jbd/ mbcache.ko

initrd-tree/lib/modules/2.6.36.1/kernel/fs/ext3:
ext3.ko

initrd-tree/lib/modules/2.6.36.1/kernel/fs/jbd:
jbd.ko

root@riposo:/boot# cat initrd-tree/load_kernel_modules
# This is a script used to load the kernel modules.
# To use it, chmod it 755, and then add the insmod
# lines needed to load your modules, like this:

modprobe -v libahci
modprobe -v mbcache
modprobe -v jbd
modprobe -v ext3

root@riposo:/boot#

NOTE that the "modprobe -v ahci" line is missing.

What is the output of "/sbin/modinfo libahci" ?

I have a trace, but I am not allowed to upload attachments
Here is the relevant part:

+ FULL_MOD=ahci
++ echo ahci
++ cut -d ' ' -f 1
+ MODULE=ahci
+ echo ahci
+ grep ' '
+ unset ARGS
+ /sbin/modprobe --set-version 2.6.36.1 --show-depends --ignore-install ahci
+ cut -f 2 -d ' '
+ read SRCMOD
+ grep '^insmod '
++ basename /lib/modules/2.6.36.1/kernel/drivers/ata/libahci.ko .ko
+ grep -q libahci /boot/initrd-tree/load_kernel_modules
+++ basename /lib/modules/2.6.36.1/kernel/drivers/ata/libahci.ko .ko
++ echo 'modprobe -v libahci'
+ LINE='modprobe -v libahci'
++ basename /lib/modules/2.6.36.1/kernel/drivers/ata/libahci.ko .ko
+ '[' libahci = ahci ']'
+ grep -qx 'modprobe -v libahci' /boot/initrd-tree/load_kernel_modules
+ echo 'modprobe -v libahci'
+ '[' '!' -f /boot/initrd-tree/lib/modules/2.6.36.1/kernel/drivers/ata/libahci.ko ']'
+ cp -a --parents /lib/modules/2.6.36.1/kernel/drivers/ata/libahci.ko /boot/initrd-tree
+ echo 'OK: /lib/modules/2.6.36.1/kernel/drivers/ata/libahci.ko added.'
OK: /lib/modules/2.6.36.1/kernel/drivers/ata/libahci.ko added.
+ read SRCMOD
++ basename /lib/modules/2.6.36.1/kernel/drivers/ata/ahci.ko .ko
+ grep -q ahci /boot/initrd-tree/load_kernel_modules
+ grep -qx 'modprobe -v libahci' /boot/initrd-tree/load_kernel_modules
+ '[' '!' -f /boot/initrd-tree/lib/modules/2.6.36.1/kernel/drivers/ata/ahci.ko ']'
+ cp -a --parents /lib/modules/2.6.36.1/kernel/drivers/ata/ahci.ko /boot/initrd-tree
+ echo 'OK: /lib/modules/2.6.36.1/kernel/drivers/ata/ahci.ko added.'
OK: /lib/modules/2.6.36.1/kernel/drivers/ata/ahci.ko added.
+ read SRCMOD

This the relevant part of /sbin/mkinitrd:

# Get MODULE deps and prepare modprobe lines
/sbin/modprobe --set-version $KERNEL_VERSION --show-depends --ignore-install $MODULE 2>/dev/null \
| grep "^insmod " | cut -f 2 -d ' ' | while read SRCMOD; do

if ! grep -q "$(basename $SRCMOD .ko)" $SOURCE_TREE/load_kernel_modules 2>/dev/null ; then
LINE="$(echo "modprobe -v $(basename $SRCMOD .ko)" )"

# Test to see if arguments should be passed
# Over-ride the previously defined LINE variable if so
if [ "$(basename $SRCMOD .ko)" = "$MODULE" ]; then
# SRCMOD and MODULE are same, ARGS can be passed
LINE="$LINE$ARGS"
fi

fi

if ! grep -qx "$LINE" $SOURCE_TREE/load_kernel_modules ; then
echo "$LINE" >> $SOURCE_TREE/load_kernel_modules
fi

if [ ! -f ${SOURCE_TREE}${SRCMOD} ]; then
# We did not yet copy this module into the initrd-tree
if cp -a --parents $SRCMOD $SOURCE_TREE 2>/dev/null; then
echo "OK: $SRCMOD added."
else
echo "WARNING: Could not find module \"$SRCMOD\""
fi
fi

In other words: the grep for "ahci" succeeds when there is already an "libahci" in the load_kernel_modules file

I think the grep should be:

if ! grep -Eq " $(basename $SRCMOD .ko) | $(basename $SRCMOD .ko)$" \
$SOURCE_TREE/load_kernel_modules 2>/dev/null ; then

Maybe this would help?

-if ! grep -q "$(basename $SRCMOD .ko)" $SOURCE_TREE/load_kernel_modules 2>/dev/null ; then
+if ! grep -q "$(basename $SRCMOD)" $SOURCE_TREE/load_kernel_modules 2>/dev/null ; then

That would have fixed this same bug in the insmod based previous mkinitrd... let's try this again.

-if ! grep -q "$(basename $SRCMOD .ko)" $SOURCE_TREE/load_kernel_modules 2>/dev/null ; then
+if ! grep -Ewq "$(basename $SRCMOD)" | $(basename $SRCMOD .ko) $SOURCE_TREE/load_kernel_modules 2>/dev/null ; then

Watch out for the -w option on grep. '-' is included in the characters that make up a word boundary so it could potentially cause an incorrect match for any modules that contain one in their names (and there are quite a few).

My regex skills are a bit dubious, but I think something along the lines of the following might do the job:
Match lines starting with "modprobe -v "
followed by basename $SRCMOD with stripped-off .ko extension (if exists)
followed by zero or one match of ".ko" (*)
followed by zero or many matches of ( a space followed by zero or many matches of any character)
followed by end of line.

(*) I'm not sure why the zero or one match of .ko is needed as the echo into the load_kernel_modules file appears to strip it off but Pat's example above appears to be checking for both with and without a ".ko" so I kept it in.


I only looked at the code from the previous posts in this thread. Didn't go digging inside mkinitrd so it's quite possible I've missed something. So no warranty on this one.

I sit here wondering if you know just how relieved I was to read that ;-)

On Fri Dec 24, 2010 mkinitrd-1.4.6-i486-2.txz was released.
The "-m ahci:ext3" problem this thread is about was not addressed however.

Taking Patrick's and GazL's remarks into account I found that the following statement comes closest to Patrick's (deliberately ?) non-foolproof (what about an ugly module named "modprobe", "insmod" etc. or an "unlucky comment?) solution:

567c567
< if ! grep -q "$(basename $SRCMOD .ko)" $SOURCE_TREE/load_kernel_modules 2>/dev/null ; then
---
> if ! grep -Eq " $(basename $SRCMOD .ko)(\.| |$)" $SOURCE_TREE/load_kernel_modules 2>/dev/null ; then