Switching root with initramfs

slacker9 · 07-24-2007, 09:42 AM

I'm using Slackware 11.0 and I know you can't use pivot_root with an initramfs. BB and other distros have switchroot or switch_root utils to do the same things with an initramfs that pivot_root does, but I can not find anything like that in Slackware.

Suggestions?

Alien Bob · 07-24-2007, 10:48 AM

Slackware 12.0 kernel uses initramfs and the mkinitrd tools that are used with it contain switch_root (implemented by busybox).
If you want to use that on Slackware 11.0 (I suppose you run a custom kernel since the default kernels in Slackware 11.0 don't support initramfs afaik) you can try and rebuild the mkinitrd package on your own box. Get it's sources at for instance http://slackware.osuosl.org/slackwar...ce/a/mkinitrd/

Eric

slacker9 · 07-24-2007, 10:59 AM

Thanks for the reply. Yes, it is a custom stripped-down Slackware 11 kernel from another vendor... it boots from USB flash drive and is designed to run from there. I'm trying to modify it to change root to a hard drive after the flash boots so I can install a few additional packages I need, set up a real swap, etc.

slacker9 · 07-24-2007, 01:35 PM

Ok.. I installed a fresh copy of Slackware 12, and still.... no switch_root. Searched the entire FS and nothing.

erklaerbaer · 07-24-2007, 03:04 PM

Quote:

(implemented by busybox).

0123456789

slacker9 · 07-24-2007, 04:15 PM

(slapping forehead) I thought BB was included in the Slack distro. That 'splains it.