Re: [IPCop-devel] [2.0] to grub or not to grub

[Gilles E. <g....@fr...>]

Selon Olaf <mai...@ba...>:

> Gilles Espinasse wrote:
>
> >> We could for example choose (just a thought):
> >>   - root (boot & root combined), minimum size ~ 192 MB, maximum size 512 MB
> >>   - log (/var/log), minimum size 64 MB, maximum size 1024 MB
> >>   - cache (/var/cache), no minimum size, no maximum size
> >>
> > I agree that a fixed partitionning scheme would be easier.
> >
> > /boot partition was first and small to fix buggy bioses with 1024 cylinder
> > limit.
> > http://tldp.org/HOWTO/Large-Disk-HOWTO-5.html say most bios after 1998
> > should be ok.
> > I don't know if we should move to combined /boot & root.
> > For sure, that would be easier on kernel update.
>
> If I read this correctly
> http://www.geocities.com/epark/linux/redhat72-install-HOWTO.html
>    it is still possible to address several GB, even with 1024 limitation.
> So if we put a max. limit on bootroot we would still be OK.
>
> And yes, it makes kernel upgrades so much easier.
>
Thinking more, that should not be a problem to combine /boot and root.
If (/boot and root) size is limited to 512 MB, we should not reach the 1024
limit.


...
>
> > Another point, I would rethink to compress modules outside of initramfs.
> > This sort of patch already exist againts kernel sources or simplier, we
> > could replace with a find like in 1.4.
> > That should help to shrink minimal root size.
>
> OK, but how do we rebuild initramfs after kernel upgrade?
> Would that require following procedure:
>   - unpack current initramfs to /tmp/newinitramfs
>   - find modules we want from /tmp/newinitramfs/lib/modules/<oldkernel>
>   - uncompress modules we need into
> /tmp/newinitramfs/lib/modules/<newkernel>
>   - remove /tmp/newinitramfs/lib/modules/<oldkernel>
>   - pack new initramfs from /tmp/newinitramfs
>
yes

Another possibility would be to have modules compressed inside initramfs.
This should help to miminize memory requirement on install.
BUT, currently busybox does not support compressed modules actually.
Compressed (gzip) modules inside initramfs may produce a slightly bigger
initramfs when initramfs is compressed with gzip. I am unsure that's still true
if initramfs is compressed with lzma.


Gilles