Bug#814036: initramfs-tools: mdadm doesn't assemble disk

[Dmitry Smirnov]

I got hit by this regression too. :(

After recent update of one of my Jessie systems, new kernel 3.16.0-4 failed 
to assemble healthy mdadm RAID:

~~~~
    1.665134] md0: failed to create bitmap (-22)
mdadm: failed to RUN_ARRAY /dev/md/0: Invalid argument
mdadm: /dev/md/1 has been started with 2 drives.
mdadm: /dev/md/2 has been started with 2 drives.
    1.970801] md0: failed to create bitmap (-22)
mdadm: failed to RUN_ARRAY /dev/md/0: Invalid argument
Gave up waiting for root device.
~~~~

I booted successfully with older kernel 3.14-2 (untouched by update-initramfs 
on update), checked HDDs thoroughly and installed kernel 4.3.0-0.bpo.1-amd64
that failed to assemble md0 just like 3.16 did.

There are 2 HDDs with 3 partitions each and 3 mdadm devices combining 
corresponding partitions in RAID-1 mode; rootfs (ext4) is on md0.

~~~~: cat /proc/mdstat 
Personalities : [raid1] 
md2 : active (auto-read-only) raid1 sdb3[1] sda3[0]
      1920960 blocks super 1.2 [2/2] [UU]
      bitmap: 0/1 pages [0KB], 65536KB chunk

md1 : active raid1 sda2[0] sdb2[1]
      222525248 blocks super 1.2 [2/2] [UU]                                                                                                                               
      bitmap: 0/2 pages [0KB], 65536KB chunk                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                                          
md0 : active raid1 sda1[0] sdb1[1]                                                                                                                                        
      68390784 blocks super 1.2 [2/2] [UU]                                                                                                                                
      bitmap: 1/1 pages [4KB], 65536KB chunk                                                                                                                              
~~~~

Booting into recovery mode fails with multiple messages

    Begin: Running /scripts/local-block ... done.

followed by "Gave up waiting for root device",

I tried adding "rootdelay=4" to kernel boot parameters but it did not help.
This system never had any problems assembling mdadm RAIDs before...

I also booted system using old rescue disk and verified all mdadm devices 
with

    echo -n "check" > /sys/block/mdN/md/sync_action

No errors was logged whatsoever yet newly installed kernels fail to assemple 
mdadm device with rootfs...

Please advise.

-- 
Cheers,
 Dmitry Smirnov.

---

I am easily satisfied with the very best.
        -- Winston Churchill
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