Bug#385017: mdadm: warning about initrd while I don't use initrd

[Paul Slootman]

Package: mdadm
Version: 2.5.3.git200608202239-2
Severity: normal

While upgrading to this version, I got a debconf message:

    The array you have specified (/dev/md3) is not listed in the
    configuration file /etc/mdadm/mdadm.conf. Therefore it cannot be
    started during boot, unless you correct the configuration file and
    recreate the initial ramdisk.

    Please refer to /usr/share/doc/mdadm/README.upgrading-2.5.3.gz if
    you intend to continue.

    Proceed with starting arrays not listed in mdadm.conf?


Firstly, it's not clear where I specified this... I now see (upon manual
inspection of the debconf-show output, which reportbug somehow failed to
obtain) that I at some point apparently had entered it (I can't recall
this, BTW).  Here's the debconf-show output:

$ debconf-show mdadm
debconf: DbDriver "passwords" warning: could not open
/var/cache/debconf/passwords.dat: Permission denied
* mdadm/autostart: false
  mdadm/autocheck: true
* mdadm/warning:
  mdadm/mail_to: root
  mdadm/initrdstart: /dev/md3
  mdadm/start_daemon: true

I have all my md components tagged as linux raid-autodetect, and hence
they're started automagically by the kernel (my self-compiled kernel of
course) at boottime.

Perhaps the /proc/cmdline info could be queried? Mine contains:
    root=/dev/md3 ro vga=6
No hint of an initrd there.

Anyway: I answered "No" to the question.

Additionally the further output is a bit confusing:

    W: unable to determine MD arrays needed for boot.
    W: falling back to starting all of them...
    Starting MD monitoring service: mdadm --monitor.
    Assembling MD arrays...done (disabled in /etc/default/mdadm).

As the assembling is disabled, why first say you're going to assemble...
and then say "done".


Thanks,
Paul Slootman

-- Package-specific info:
--- mount output
/dev/md3 on / type ext3 (rw)
proc on /proc type proc (rw)
sysfs on /sys type sysfs (rw)
usbfs on /proc/bus/usb type usbfs (rw)
tmpfs on /dev/shm type tmpfs (rw)
devpts on /dev/pts type devpts (rw,gid=5,mode=620)
/dev/md1 on /boot type ext2 (rw)
/dev/mapper/vg0- [deleted]
nfsd on /proc/fs/nfsd type nfsd (rw)

--- mdadm.conf
DEVICE partitions
MAILADDR root

--- /proc/mdstat:
Personalities : [raid1] [raid5] [raid4] 
md1 : active raid1 sdc1[2] sdb1[1] sda1[0]
      248896 blocks [3/3] [UUU]
      
md2 : active raid5 sdc2[2] sdb2[1] sda2[0]
      3919616 blocks level 5, 64k chunk, algorithm 2 [3/3] [UUU]
      
md3 : active raid5 sdc3[2] sdb3[1] sda3[0]
      5879552 blocks level 5, 64k chunk, algorithm 2 [3/3] [UUU]
      
md4 : active raid5 sdc4[2] sdb4[1] sda4[0]
      614839552 blocks level 5, 64k chunk, algorithm 0 [3/3] [UUU]
      
unused devices: <none>

--- /proc/partitions:
major minor  #blocks  name

   8     0  312571224 sda
   8     1     248976 sda1
   8     2    1959930 sda2
   8     3    2939895 sda3
   8     4  307419840 sda4
   8    16  312571224 sdb
   8    17     248976 sdb1
   8    18    1959930 sdb2
   8    19    2939895 sdb3
   8    20  307419840 sdb4
   8    32  312571224 sdc
   8    33     248976 sdc1
   8    34    1959930 sdc2
   8    35    2939895 sdc3
   8    36  307419840 sdc4
   9     4  614839552 md4
   9     3    5879552 md3
   9     2    3919616 md2
   9     1     248896 md1
 253     0    4194304 dm-0
 253     1    6291456 dm-1
 253     2   33554432 dm-2
 253     3   83886080 dm-3
 253     4  104857600 dm-4
 253     5  125829120 dm-5
 253     6   52428800 dm-6
 253     7    5242880 dm-7
 253     8   72351744 dm-8
 253     9    5242880 dm-9
 253    10   52428800 dm-10
 253    11  120954880 dm-11
   8    64    1004800 sde
   8    65    2009478 sde1

--- initrd.img-2.6.17-rc5:

--- /proc/modules:

-- System Information:
Debian Release: testing/unstable
  APT prefers testing
  APT policy: (650, 'testing'), (625, 'stable'), (600, 'unstable')
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)
Shell:  /bin/sh linked to /bin/bash
Kernel: Linux 2.6.17-rc5
Locale: LANG=en_US, LC_CTYPE=en_US (charmap=ANSI_X3.4-1968) (ignored: LC_ALL set to C)

Versions of packages mdadm depends on:
ii  debconf [debconf-2.0]         1.5.1      Debian configuration management sy
ii  libc6                         2.3.6-13   GNU C Library: Shared libraries
ii  lsb-base                      3.1-8      Linux Standard Base 3.1 init scrip
ii  makedev                       2.3.1-81   creates device files in /dev

Versions of packages mdadm recommends:
ii  exim4-daemon-heavy [mail-tran 4.62-1     exim MTA (v4) daemon with extended

-- debconf-show failed