Can I edit mkinitcpio presets?

rayman · 2012-05-23 20:25:53

---Story that is not important for the actual question, but might be fun to read or skim through---

I did a system update, and when booting arch the day after, I noticed neither my mouse nor my keyboard worked(no numlock indicator-light either). My beatifull fluxbox-wm started, along with some applications. I did a hard-reset on my pc, and after some googling, booted in single user mode. I noticed the keyboard did work there.
In the update, xorg-server, xorg-server-common, xf86-input-mouse, xf86-input-evdev, linux, and some other packages were updated, according to pacman.log.
Understandably, I looked for the problem in the updated xf86-input-mouse and xf86-input-evdev. A lot of googling and banging my head against the wall still didn't provide the answer.
I tried everything: I tried creating a Xorg.conf file and setting up mouse&keyboard there, reinstalling xf86-input-*, even rebuilding initramfs(googled that one).
I wanted to mount another partition from single user mode, but I couldn't. It gave some error about not being able to find ext4. Trying to mount an ntfs drive resulted in an error about not finding fuse.
I then noticed it might be udev's fault. I reinstalled udev, no result. I reinstalled linux, no result. I read through the pacman.log again, after which I did several facepalms. The linux-package is nice enough to rebuilt the initramfs. However, the path showed /boot/initramfs.img. But I have a seperate boot partition, and since I use grub-legacy(is it legacy already?) and btrfs, I placed my initramfs in the boot partition. Took me 3 hours to solve. I'm an idiot

---End of story that is not importand for the actual question, but might be fun to read or skim through---

To have pacman rebuild my initramfs in the correct location(in a seperate boot-partition), is it alright if I just edit the mkinitcpio presets? Or is that not recommended(gets overwritten)?

Thanks!

Last edited by rayman (2012-05-23 20:26:12)

alphaniner · 2012-05-23 20:34:19

I don't follow. I use grub-legacy and LVM, so I have a separate /boot partition too. But every new initram always get built there.

rayman · 2012-05-23 21:09:03

alphaniner wrote:

I don't follow. I use grub-legacy and LVM, so I have a separate /boot partition too. But every new initram always get built there.

Perhaps I didn't specify a boot partition, or arch just didn't feel like it. I installed arch not via the AIF, but partly following this guide on the wiki, and adding my own btrfs-additions, since AIf doesn't support btrfs yet. I used the already installed grub from my other gnu/linux distro. All I want to know is whether or not I should just edit the mkinitcpio presets or do something else that automates the process of copying the images.

Thanks for your response.

alphaniner · 2012-05-23 21:16:38

I'd say you should go the preset route, but as to whether or not you should edit linux.preset or make your own I can't say.

I'm still curious though, where in the filesystem do you want the initramfs to go?

rayman · 2012-05-23 21:52:58

My boot-directory is on another (gnu/inux)os' root drive. I think a bind-mount to /boot would result in the same kind of stupid mistakes I made which I described in the thread. I think linking /boot is an ugly solution, so I thought that I might just change the presets. If doing that is not recommended, I'll try binding it to /boot

Lone_Wolf · 2012-05-24 12:44:14

rayman wrote:

My boot-directory is on another (gnu/inux)os' root drive. I think a bind-mount to /boot would result in the same kind of stupid mistakes I made which I described in the thread. I think linking /boot is an ugly solution, so I thought that I might just change the presets. If doing that is not recommended, I'll try binding it to /boot

A good example why a separate /boot partition is a good idea

Arch Linux

#1 2012-05-23 20:25:53

Can I edit mkinitcpio presets?

#2 2012-05-23 20:34:19

Re: Can I edit mkinitcpio presets?

#3 2012-05-23 21:09:03

Re: Can I edit mkinitcpio presets?

#4 2012-05-23 21:16:38

Re: Can I edit mkinitcpio presets?

#5 2012-05-23 21:52:58

Re: Can I edit mkinitcpio presets?

#6 2012-05-24 12:44:14

Re: Can I edit mkinitcpio presets?

Board footer