[Bug 810221] PID file paths are apparent cause of video cutoff bug

[Luke]

Today I just tested plymouth_0.8.2-2ubuntu25_i386.deb, finding the video cutoff bug worse than ever, with video not restarting until X starts, cutting off at root filesystem mount.
Last night I did some digging while trying to fix another bug.  I tried both the previous ubuntu 0.8.2 version and the ricotz 0.8.4 version and played with how it was called in the initramfs. The 0.4.8 version normally worked except for text rendering-until I tried changing the plymouth script in /usr/share/initramfs-tools/scripts/init-top to call plymouthd with no arguments, or with all except the --pid-file= argument. I then tried 0.8.2 but calling plymouth in init-top with the arguments used in the older Ricotz 0.8.4 version, and video worked. Using ricotz's  0.8.4 natty version with the current initramfs scripts led to NO video ouput after the passphrase prompt. I suspect but am not sure that future /run migration changes might invert this.
In short, calling plymouth (any version) with --pid-file=/run/initramfs/plymouth.pid or with no pid file argument causes the video to cut off. Calling it with --pid-file=/dev/.initramfs/plymouth.pid causes the video to continue as normal, except for no text rendering.
I have attached a tarball with the fix that worked for me. As always, open any tarball you see here into a directory before putting the files in place, as a normal safety precaution-that way you can find them again if you need to remove them! It contains the initramfs scripts for init-top and init-bottom that call Plymouth, the versions that work right now but may not in the future.
I am filing a separate report on the no text bug, as I have some screen photo logs that might help there.


** Attachment added: "Plymouth-Video_Cutoff_Fix_Luke_7-22-2011.tar.gz"
   https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/810221/+attachment/2226930/+files/Plymouth-Video_Cutoff_Fix_Luke_7-22-2011.tar.gz

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/810221

Title:
  Video output stops on real root after July 12 udev changes

Status in “initramfs-tools” package in Ubuntu:
  Fix Released
Status in “initramfs-tools” source package in Oneiric:
  Fix Released

Bug description:
  In Ubuntu Oneiric, since the July 11/12 udev, initramfs-tools,
  basefiles (/var/run to /run ) changes, plymouth flickers to black,
  causing all video output to cut off ("no signal" report from monitors)
  until /etc/init/plymouth-upstart-bridge.conf runs, restarting video
  output.

  If /etc/init/plymouth-upstart-bridge.conf  is disabled as a test,
  video does not resume at all, showing this to be what is bringing it
  back.

  Booting with splash removed from the grub command line produces
  continuing video output without this flicker, though no script for
  logging output with plymouth produces output during this time (as my
  scripts normally would on console).

  Thus, it seems that either plymouth needs to be patched to adapt to
  the /run changes, or that there is a problem elsewhere concerning
  video devices during this transition.

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