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aquilarubra

- aquilarubra
- Posts: 39
- Joined: Wed Sep 10, 2014 7:07 am

## Re: refracta snapshot won't boot

Sun Mar 06, 2016 12:14 pm

I did everything again, with default kernel, and it worked.
I could not solve the issue with the backport kernel. I saw that clonezilla solved it, but could not understand what they did.
I wonder if the development version of refractasnapshot solves this issue.
dzz

- dzz
- Posts: 647
- Joined: Wed Apr 27, 2011 11:53 am
- Location: Devon, England

## Re: refracta snapshot won't boot

Sun Mar 06, 2016 2:42 pm

viewtopic.php?f=16&t=521
Describes my experience of doing a jessie live image with a 4.2 kernel. That was necessary at the time for hardware reasons.
I used a siduction kernel for that. There was a reason to not use a stock backport kernel but I don't remember why, maybe it was too old.
Note, you must use newer live-* (jessie versions can't handle overlay, newer kernels can't handle aufs). Get them from sid, they should be installable and back-compatible.
I have since done a self-compiled 4.2.5 and just installed it to my new refracta 8 system.

Code:
  `:~$ uname -r
  4.2.5
  dpkg -l|grep linux-image
  ii linux-image-3.16.0-4-amd64 3.16.7-ckt20-1+deb8u3 amd64 Linux 3.16 for 64-bit PCs
  ii linux-image-4.2.5 1.0.exegnu amd64 Linux kernel binary image for version 4.2.5
  `

I noticed however that the symlinks were not updated. I checked (/)etc/kernel img.conf:

Code:
  `# Kernel Image management overrides
  # See kernel-img.conf(5) for details
  do_symlinks = No
  do_bootloader = No
  do_initrd = Yes
  link_in_boot = No`

After changing do_symlinks and reinstalling they were still not done. Don't know why yet. Those links don't seem to have much use anyway except maybe convenience in some cases. Grub uses the real kernel('s) and initrd('s) in /boot, maybe snapshot should do the same (with a mechanism to detect multiple kernels)
There is already an option in refractasnapshot.conf to choose a kernel and initrd other than what is (or not) symlinked.
RE patching init: There was a problem in the early days of jessie (or devuan) where /dev was empty in the real fs, after intramfs causing switch_root failure. This was apparently fixed by including some basic static nodes, like live-build does. The patch was supposed to be only an interim fix.
Will need to go back and look what the patch did/does.. /usr/share/initramfs-tools/scripts/init-bottom/udev is involved in this also.
Later I will do a snapshot myself of this system and write back with the result.
aquilarubra

- aquilarubra
- Posts: 39
- Joined: Wed Sep 10, 2014 7:07 am

## Re: refracta snapshot won't boot

Sun Mar 06, 2016 3:16 pm

Wow, I hit really a hot topic. It gets pretty complicate.
I would prefer to use backport kernels, avoiding complex mixtures that would impact maintainability.
Clonezilla seems to have found the way with backports, but it's not well documented. I have sid live* packages, so I am set, but it still does not boot.
I tried to use some clonezilla options and got a pretty clean screen, with only one error. It complains that the root mount command has bad arguments. Maybe I am set correctly with overlay, but I don't know how/where to change the mount command to experiment. I got the feeling that, with some modified mount commands, it could work.
dzz

- dzz
- Posts: 647
- Joined: Wed Apr 27, 2011 11:53 am
- Location: Devon, England

## Re: refracta snapshot won't boot

Sun Mar 06, 2016 5:14 pm

I just noticed, while upgrading live-* from testing, update-initramfs was not triggered. Therefore, the new live-boot scripts won't be in the initrd (so it's not going to boot live with overlayfs) till that is done manually..
fsmithred

- fsmithred
- Posts: 2101
- Joined: Wed Mar 09, 2011 9:13 pm

## Re: refracta snapshot won't boot

Sun Mar 06, 2016 5:31 pm

I made another ascii (testing/stretch) snapshot. The first one, described in another thread, was with 3.16 kernel. This one was with the 4.3 kernel (stock debian kernel) and refractasnapshot-9.2.2. Upgrading the kernel also upgraded xorg, and now I can't get an x-session. So I used the cli refractasnaphot. The iso boots, but it's stuck in an endless loop trying to start X.
Here are some versions of relevant packages:

Code:
  `linux-image-4.3.0-1-686-pae:
  Installed: 4.3.5-1
  Candidate: 4.3.5-1
  Version table:
  *** 4.3.5-1 990
  990 http://us.mirror.devuan.org/merged ascii/main i386 Packages
  100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
  initramfs-tools:
  Installed: 0.123
  Candidate: 0.123
  Version table:
  *** 0.123 990
  990 http://us.mirror.devuan.org/merged ascii/main i386 Packages
  500 http://us.mirror.devuan.org/merged ceres/main i386 Packages
  100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
  live-boot:
  Installed: 1:20151213
  Candidate: 1:20151213
  Version table:
  *** 1:20151213 990
  990 http://us.mirror.devuan.org/merged ascii/main i386 Packages
  500 http://us.mirror.devuan.org/merged ceres/main i386 Packages
  100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
  live-boot-initramfs-tools:
  Installed: 1:20151213
  Candidate: 1:20151213
  Version table:
  *** 1:20151213 990
  990 http://us.mirror.devuan.org/merged ascii/main i386 Packages
  500 http://us.mirror.devuan.org/merged ceres/main i386 Packages
  100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
  live-config:
  Installed: 5.20151121
  Candidate: 5.20151121
  Version table:
  *** 5.20151121 990
  990 http://us.mirror.devuan.org/merged ascii/main i386 Packages
  500 http://us.mirror.devuan.org/merged ceres/main i386 Packages
  100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
  live-config-sysvinit:
  Installed: 5.20151121
  Candidate: 5.20151121
  Version table:
  *** 5.20151121 990
  990 http://us.mirror.devuan.org/merged ascii/main i386 Packages
  500 http://us.mirror.devuan.org/merged ceres/main i386 Packages
  100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
  refractasnapshot-base:
  Installed: 9.2.2
  Candidate: 9.2.2
  Version table:
  *** 9.2.2 100
  100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
  refractasnapshot-gui:
  Installed: 9.2.2
  Candidate: 9.2.2
  Version table:
  *** 9.2.2 100
  100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
  `

I'll try it again with refractasnapshot-9.3.3 to see if it works with creating the /dev links instead of the init patch.
aquilarubra

- aquilarubra
- Posts: 39
- Joined: Wed Sep 10, 2014 7:07 am

## Re: refracta snapshot won't boot

Sun Mar 06, 2016 6:37 pm

dzz, that's strange. I remember I wondered, when I installed live*, that it was recreating initramfs. Now I have a doubt. Maybe I should try to update initramfs manually again.
Anyway, I used a sort of trick. I installed 4.3 and then default kernel. Symlinks are the default kernel, which boots ok.
I didn't try, but I expect that, when I install from refractasnapshot to a hard disk, the 4.3 kernel will have priority in the grub menu. Thus, I will have the default kernel for the livecd, and the newer kernel for hard disk installation.
Not exactly the intended way... but at least it seems working, until the overlay thing is sorted out properly.
fsmithred

- fsmithred
- Posts: 2101
- Joined: Wed Mar 09, 2011 9:13 pm

## Re: refracta snapshot won't boot

Sun Mar 06, 2016 7:21 pm

If you want multiple kernels available to boot the snapshot, you'll need to do a couple of things manually.
Set the config file to allow you to edit the boot menu. When the script pauses to edit the boot menu, go to another terminal or console and copy the additional kernel to /home/work/iso/live/. Do the same for the initrd. You can also make entries in the boot menu that point to the additional kernel and initrd.
ascii with 4.3 kernel, refractasnapshot-9.3.2, un-patched init, boots fine. (unrelated: xorg needed xserver-xorg-legacy, and now startx works.)
aquilarubra

- aquilarubra
- Posts: 39
- Joined: Wed Sep 10, 2014 7:07 am

## Re: refracta snapshot won't boot

Sun Mar 06, 2016 9:21 pm

Success with the backport 4.3 kernel and refractasnapshot-9.2.2.
To recap steps:
1. install live-boot-initramfs-tools and live-boot from sid
2. run "update-initramfs -u"
3. create snapshot
4. when booting, change union=aufs to union=overlay
I will try refractasnapshot-9.3.2, to see if I can get rid of the manual switch to union=overlay while booting.
fsmithred

- fsmithred
- Posts: 2101
- Joined: Wed Mar 09, 2011 9:13 pm

## Re: refracta snapshot won't boot

Sun Mar 06, 2016 9:34 pm

In 9.3.2, the boot menu entries don't contain "union=aufs" or "union=overlay". Apparently, that option isn't needed. Doesn't seem to be necessary for jessie, either.
Please edit the subject of your first post to mark it as SOLVED. Thanks for reporting your fix.
dzz

- dzz
- Posts: 647
- Joined: Wed Apr 27, 2011 11:53 am
- Location: Devon, England

## Re: refracta snapshot won't boot - SOLVED

Mon Mar 07, 2016 11:21 pm

Well, maybe solved for the OP. For the record, my snapshot with the current backport kernel would not boot (overlay not available) till I manually added overlay to (/)etc/initramfs-tools/modules then booted live with an updated initrd ..
BTW the symlinks were automatically made this time, while installing the new kernel.
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