update-initramfs fails with "cpio: ./lib/udev/vol_id: Cannot stat: No such file or directory"

[Dan Trevino]

dan@chaos:/tmp/orbit-dan$ sudo update-initramfs -k `uname -r` -u
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-3-generic
cpio: ./lib/udev/vol_id: Cannot stat: No such file or directory
update-initramfs: failed for /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-3-generic

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: i386
Date: Mon Jul 20 11:15:14 2009
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=d57cbf00-07a2-4153-99fc-25a7ace8f090
Lsusb:
 Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
 Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
 Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
 Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
 Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
MachineType: Gateway M465-E
Package: linux-image-2.6.31-3-generic 2.6.31-3.19
ProcCmdLine: root=UUID=ce88df8c-332b-4b15-afff-979276ac6d8d ro quiet splash
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-3.19-generic
RelatedPackageVersions: linux-backports-modules-2.6.31-3-generic N/A
SourcePackage: linux
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-3-generic i686
dmi.bios.date: 04/12/2006
dmi.bios.vendor: Gateway
dmi.bios.version: 71.05
dmi.board.vendor: Gateway
dmi.board.version: 71.05
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Tag
dmi.chassis.type: 8
dmi.chassis.vendor: Gateway
dmi.chassis.version: Rev.1
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnGateway:bvr71.05:bd04/12/2006:svnGateway:pnM465-E:pvr3402453:rvnGateway:rn:rvr71.05:cvnGateway:ct8:cvrRev.1:
dmi.product.name: M465-E
dmi.product.version: 3402453
dmi.sys.vendor: Gateway

[Colin Watson (cjwatson)]

I can't find anything that might be the cause of this. Could you please run 'grep -r vol_id /usr/share/initramfs-tools' and show us the output? With any luck it will turn up something ...

[Florent Mertens (givre)]

I got the same problem, and there is indeed some script that are calling /lib/udev/vol_id

flo@flo-laptop:~$ grep -r vol_id /usr/share/initramfs-tools/
/usr/share/initramfs-tools/hooks/casper:copy_exec /lib/udev/vol_id /lib/udev
/usr/share/initramfs-tools/scripts/local-top/dmraid:# Activate any dmraid arrays that were not identified by udev and vol_id.
/usr/share/initramfs-tools/scripts/casper-bottom/13swap: /lib/udev/vol_id ${device%%[0-9]*} | grep -q "^ID_FS_USAGE=raid" && continue
/usr/share/initramfs-tools/scripts/casper-helpers: /lib/udev/vol_id -t $1 2>/dev/null
/usr/share/initramfs-tools/scripts/casper-helpers: if [ "$(/lib/udev/vol_id -l $devname 2>/dev/null)" = "${pers_label}" ]; then

[Florent Mertens (givre)]

Removing casper allowed me to complete my dist-upgrade.

[Colin Watson (cjwatson)]

Upgrading casper to version 1.174 or better would have done it too, as this is already fixed there. However, the fact that you had dist-upgrade problems (Dan, was this the case for you too?) suggests that the real fix we need to apply for this is some Breaks fields so that apt does a better job of ordering the upgrade.

[Colin Watson (cjwatson)]

Ah, my hunch was right, but (as so often happens) Martin Pitt beat me to committing the fix. See bug 400138.