linux-kernel - RE: [PATCH v4 0/3] initramfs: add support for xattrs in the initial ram disk

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Date:   Wed, 20 Jul 2022 11:52:00 +0000
From:   Roberto Sassu <roberto.sassu@...wei.com>
To:     Rob Landley <rob@...dley.net>, Jim Baxter <jim_baxter@...tor.com>,
        "Eugeniu Rosca" <erosca@...adit-jv.com>
CC:     "hpa@...or.com" <hpa@...or.com>,
        Masahiro Yamada <masahiroy@...nel.org>,
        Arvind Sankar <nivedita@...m.mit.edu>,
        Mimi Zohar <zohar@...ux.ibm.com>,
        "viro@...iv.linux.org.uk" <viro@...iv.linux.org.uk>,
        "linux-security-module@...r.kernel.org" 
        <linux-security-module@...r.kernel.org>,
        "linux-integrity@...r.kernel.org" <linux-integrity@...r.kernel.org>,
        "initramfs@...r.kernel.org" <initramfs@...r.kernel.org>,
        "linux-api@...r.kernel.org" <linux-api@...r.kernel.org>,
        "linux-fsdevel@...r.kernel.org" <linux-fsdevel@...r.kernel.org>,
        "linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org" <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
        "bug-cpio@....org" <bug-cpio@....org>,
        "zohar@...ux.vnet.ibm.com" <zohar@...ux.vnet.ibm.com>,
        Silviu Vlasceanu <Silviu.Vlasceanu@...wei.com>,
        Dmitry Kasatkin <dmitry.kasatkin@...wei.com>,
        "takondra@...co.com" <takondra@...co.com>,
        "kamensky@...co.com" <kamensky@...co.com>,
        "arnd@...db.de" <arnd@...db.de>,
        "james.w.mcmechan@...il.com" <james.w.mcmechan@...il.com>,
        "linux-kbuild@...r.kernel.org" <linux-kbuild@...r.kernel.org>,
        Dirk Behme <dirk.behme@...bosch.com>,
        Eugeniu Rosca <roscaeugeniu@...il.com>
Subject: RE: [PATCH v4 0/3] initramfs: add support for xattrs in the initial
 ram disk

> From: Rob Landley [mailto:rob@...dley.net]
> Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2022 4:15 PM
> On 7/19/22 07:26, Roberto Sassu wrote:
> >> P.P.S. If you want to run a command other than /init out of initramfs or initrd,
> >> use the rdinit=/run/this option. Note the root= overmount mechanism is
> >> completely different code and uses the init=/run/this argument instead,
> which
> >> means nothing to initramfs. Again, specifying root= says we are NOT staying
> in
> >> initramfs.
> >
> > Sorry, it was some time ago. I have to go back and see why we needed
> > a separate option.
> 
> Did I mention that init/do_mounts.c already has:
> 
> __setup("rootfstype=", fs_names_setup);

It is consumed by dracut too, for the real root filesystem.

[...]

> Lots of systems running from initramfs already DON'T have a root=, so you're
> saying dracut being broken when there is no root= is something to work around
> rather than fix in dracut, even though it's been easy to create a system without
> a root= for a decade and a half already...

If there is a possibility that root= or rootfstype= are used by
someone else, I would not count on those to make a selection
of the filesystem for rootfs.

On the other hand, what can go wrong in having a dedicated,
not used by anyone option to do this job?

Thanks

Roberto