Re: Kernel modules in initrd

[Jan Nieuwenhuizen <janneke@gnu.org>]

Andreas Enge writes:

> The problem turned out to be that the disk of the machine needed special
> kernel modules, and adding
>   (initrd (lambda (file-systems . rest)
>             (apply base-initrd file-systems
>                    #:extra-modules '("mptbase" "mptsas" "mptscsih")
>                                    rest)))
> to the operating-system declaration solved the problem.

Sounds familiar, when installing GuixSD on older hardware, I needed these

    (initrd (lambda (file-systems . rest)
              (apply base-initrd file-systems
                     #:extra-modules '("pata_via" "pata_acpi" "sata_via")
                     rest)))

> However, it took us quite some time and several trials to diagnose the
> problem in the first place.

Yes.

> So I wonder:
> 1) Could we add more kernel modules to the base-initrd, whenever people
>    report that new ones are needed? For instance, the berlin server has
>    modules (list "megaraid_sas" "libsas" "scsi_transport_sas").
> 2) Better yet, since we managed to boot on the USB key and see the disk:
>    Why not have the same modules in the initrd of the installation image
>    and of the installed default system? Not being able to see the disk
>    in the beginning would at least have made the process fail early on,
>    and moreover there seem to be more modules on the USB key. And what
>    fits onto a 1 GB USB key should also easily fit on a hard disk...
>
> What do you think?

I'm not experienced in this, otoh if things "just work", that's always
nice.
janneke

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Jan Nieuwenhuizen <janneke@gnu.org> | GNU LilyPond http://lilypond.org
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