Naive question: Are there any GNU/Linux distributons that do not follow the initrd model?
Discussion
Loading...
Post
@dexter Slackware is often run without an initrd, although it also uses them easily enough. No ZFS root on Linux without an initrd, though.
@dexter I do not know of any, and given how long it's been the solution to kernel bloat, generic hardware support and oddball root filesystem support, I strongly doubt there are any.
It's still optional if you compile a streamlined kernel with everything needed for boot linked in. Basically no one* does that, though.
[*] I used to before I switched mostly to BSD, now it's not worth the effort.
@dexter The other way of looking at it is that initrd was built to solve the problems of distro maintainers. A distro would be asking for lots of trouble to avoid it.
The BSD community doesn't have the problems initrd solves because the kernel, userspace and releng teams are tightly integrated and think of themselves as part of the same, larger engineering team.
@overeducatedredneck My naive thought was… how perfect for the initial bring up, especially if net booting…
@dexter Yocto, Alpine, and OpenWRT when running in containers or on constrained edge stuff like routers, IP cameras, raspberry pi, older non-android smart TVs.
@dexter this is old-ish, but https://firasuke.github.io/DOTSLASHLINUX/post/booting-the-linux-kernel-without-an-initrd-initramfs/
I seem to recall there being some options to do this with Alpine Linux, but it's been quite a while...
bonfire.cafe
A space for Bonfire maintainers and contributors to communicate
Automatic federation enabled