[Bug 668429] Re: mount.cifs is not included in initramfs, so netboot=cifs doesn't work

[maxim]

This is so close to working.

Using releases such as 12.04, and the daily build of quantal
(http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/daily-live/current/) as of today, the
mount.cifs application is present in the initramfs.

However, there is an authentication error that presents itself and
prevents a mount from occurring. This message appears just before casper
tries to mount the CIFS share:

FS-Cache: Netfs 'cifs' registered for caching
CIFS VFS: default security mechanism requested. The default security mechanism will be upgraded from ntlm to ntlmv2 in kernel release 3.3
CIFS VFS: Error -2 during NTLM authentication
CIFS VFS: Send error in SessSetup= -2
CIFS VFS: cifs_mount failt w/return code= -2

The mount that happens shortly after is not successful, and mount.cifs
reports "No such file or directory." The error is misleading as to the
true cause.

After being dumped to the initramfs shell, manual attempts to mount.cifs the share return the error:
CIFS VFS: mdfour: Crypto md4 allocation error -2

CIFS VFS: Error -2 during NTLM authentication
CIFS VFS: Send error in SessSetup = -2
CIFS VFS: cifs_mount failed w/return code = -2

This error appears to be hidden during the attempt that the casper
script makes and isn't displayed on the screen.

Looking up md4 crypto on the net it seems to be a kernel module
(md4.ko). I'm not familiar with it so I'm not sure what needs to be done
in order to get it to work.

Here is the kernel/append line that I'm using with PXELINUX:
LABEL Ubuntu 12.10 desktop-amd64 (Live)
  kernel boot/ubuntu/12.10/desktop-amd64/vmlinuz
  append  initrd=boot/ubuntu/12.10/desktop-amd64/initrd.lz boot=casper netboot=cifs nfsroot=//192.168.1.1/netboot$/ubuntu/12.10/desktop-amd64 --

-- 
You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu
Foundations Bugs, which is subscribed to initramfs-tools in Ubuntu.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/668429

Title:
  mount.cifs is not included in initramfs, so netboot=cifs doesn't work

Status in “initramfs-tools” package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed

Bug description:
  Binary package hint: initramfs-tools

  This bug being reported and fixed in Debian over a year ago still
  exists in lucid lynx LTS 10.04.1 Daily (Aug 16, 2010):

  http://www.mail-archive.com/debian-live@lists.debian.org/msg01833.html

  Essentially, mount.cifs is missing from the initramfs, so it's
  impossible to use the netboot=cifs option on the kernel append
  parameters.

  I'm currently looking for a solution to just insert the mount.cifs
  into the initramfs.

  It would also be nice if there were actually some indicator as to what
  the problem is when it's encountered by the initramfs scripts.

  Currently it displays:
  nfsmount: need a server
  nfsmount: need a server
  nfsmount: need a server
  nfsmount: need a server
  nfsmount: need a server
  ...

To manage notifications about this bug go to:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/initramfs-tools/+bug/668429/+subscriptions