linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH] initrd: support erofs as initrd

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Message-ID: <582bc002-f0c8-4dbb-8fa5-4c10a479b518@linux.alibaba.com>
Date: Fri, 21 Mar 2025 13:27:53 +0800
From: Gao Xiang <hsiangkao@...ux.alibaba.com>
To: Christoph Hellwig <hch@....de>, julian.stecklina@...erus-technology.de
Cc: Al Viro <viro@...iv.linux.org.uk>,
 Linus Torvalds <torvalds@...ux-foundation.org>,
 Greg Kroah-Hartman <gregkh@...uxfoundation.org>,
 "Rafael J. Wysocki" <rafael@...nel.org>, linux-fsdevel@...r.kernel.org,
 linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH] initrd: support erofs as initrd

Hi Christoph,

On 2025/3/21 13:01, Christoph Hellwig wrote:
> We've been trying to kill off initrd in favor of initramfs for about
> two decades.  I don't think adding new file system support to it is
> helpful.
> 

Disclaimer: I don't know the background of this effort so
more background might be helpful.

Two years ago, I once thought if using EROFS + FSDAX to directly
use the initrd image from bootloaders to avoid the original initrd
double caching issue (which is what initramfs was proposed to
resolve) and initramfs unnecessary tmpfs unpack overhead:
https://lore.kernel.org/r/ZXgNQ85PdUKrQU1j@infradead.org

Also EROFS supports xattrs so the following potential work (which
the cpio format doesn't support) is no longer needed although I
don't have any interest to follow either):
https://lore.kernel.org/r/20190523121803.21638-1-roberto.sassu@huawei.com

Anyway, personally I have no time slot or even input on those.

Thanks,
Gao Xiang