[Pkg-sysvinit-devel] Bug#494001: Processed: Re: Bug#494001: debian-installer: /etc/mtab must be a symlink to /proc/mounts with linux >= 2.6.26

[Henrique de Moraes Holschuh]

On Thu, 19 Mar 2009, Roger Leigh wrote:
> True, and I did consider this.  However, it was pointed out that since
> squeeze would not run with kernels < 2.6.26, and Lenny uses 2.6.26, so

I'd still like to know WHAT in squeeze will break with kernels < 2.6.26.  I
have already asked that, but got no answer.

Depending on what is going to break and when, yes, we will be able to do
away with the version checks at runtime, which will make things much
simpler.  But I'd appreciate that crucial piece of information.  What is
going to break with kernel < 2.6.26?

I get the point that we should still provide /etc/mtab because there is
widespread usage, although fixing mount would be a damn good idea, because
it is the only piece of code that needs to deal with /etc/mtab functionality
at early userspace.

BTW, if /etc/mtab is to be read through a bunch of standard libc functions,
fixing glibc to ignore /etc/mtab and use /proc/mounts directly when running
on a new-enough Linux kernel would fix a lot of crap for good.  If mount
uses these functions, we wouldn't even need to touch mount, at most request
a binNMU if it is statically linked (I didn't check).

-- 
  "One disk to rule them all, One disk to find them. One disk to bring
  them all and in the darkness grind them. In the Land of Redmond
  where the shadows lie." -- The Silicon Valley Tarot
  Henrique Holschuh