Comment 7 for bug 447377

@Colin: I don't know if sub.mesa already has solved this, but I encountered just the same frustration and problems als he did :-)

I think the most frustrating part is, that there is no documentation or any note in the installer regarding iSCSI on root installations, other than that it CAN and DOES install the system on an iSCSI-based root filesystem, but no instructions or actions on where to find an initramfs image that can be used to make mounting the iSCSI volume doing the boot process possible :). In other words: The Ubuntu 9,10 release notes state explicitly iSCSI support has been improved and installation of root on iSCSI is possible, but it is practically not useable without a lot of hassle.

In an earlier response to this bug, you mention a file called "/etc/iscsi/iscsi.initramfs". When I get home and have the time (but ASAP) I will see if this file exists on the newly-installed system .Is this file useable as a ready to use initrd or do you still have to do something to create one? But even if it exists, there still is no easy way to get this distributed to a boot medium.

Scenario:
* Instantiate a Virtual Machine (eg. in VirtualBox) with no local storage attached
* Boot the Ubuntu server 9.10 ISO
* During installation, login to an iSCSI target and let the system install to it.
* After installation, the system wants to reboot

This is where the problem start: The system reboots and you have no way of reaching any initramfs, other than mounting the root filesystem on the iSCSI target from another system and (worst case) chroot to it if creating an initrd is still needed.

In my opinion (and I think many people will agree), the installation scenario should continue:

* After installation, an extra step is performed, in which the system will create the right initrd needed to boot this particular system (with the modules of the NIC that was in use during iSCSI login for installation, with the iSCSI modules and login procedure, anything to be able to mount the root FS).
* An option is given to SCP the newly created initrd and kernel to another system, or even put it on a USB key.

Any thoughts on this? :-). I am happy to test any howto/procedure you can give me, or a pointer to a place sub.mesa or I might not have searched for documentation.