debugging initramfs boot process, install client can't mount root file system

[Ryan Steele]

Thomas Lange wrote:
> If you have any troubles during the boot process of your install
> clients and they can't mount the nfsroot, you like to have a shell for
> debuging.
>
> You can get a shell by adding break=bottom as kernel parameter (in
> a pxelinux.cfg file). This stops the boot process and spaws a shell
> within the initramfs. Other values for break= can be found if you search
> all initramfs scripts for the subroutine maybe_break:
>
> maybe_break top
> maybe_break modules
> maybe_break premount
> maybe_break mount
> maybe_break mountroot
> maybe_break bottom
> maybe_break init
> maybe_break live-premount
> maybe_break live-bottom
> maybe_break pre-mdadm
> maybe_break post-mdadm
>
>   

Wow.  Just having read the manpage for initramfs-tools, I see the break 
parameter can be *very* helpful.  I'm currently debugging a kernel panic 
and this is sure to be a useful tool.  Thanks for the tip, Thomas!


Respectfully,
Ryan