[Bug 1302605] [NEW] Calls to /libx32/ld-linux-x32.so.2 hang

[Margarita Manterola]

Public bug reported:

I'm running trusty on a bunch of machines, doing frequent dist-upgrades.
My hosts have gcc-multilib installed.

Yesterday, I noticed that initramfs generation was hanging.  Today I
investigated further and found out that what was hanging were the calls
to /libx32/ld-linux-x32.so.2.

This is triggered in initramfs generation because there are at some
hooks that incorrectly use copy_exec to copy shell scripts into the
initramfs image.  In a working machine, when ldd encounters a shell
script, it will first call the 64bit linker and since it fails, it will
then call the 32bit linker which will also fail.

However, in a machine affected by this bug, the second call will hang
forever, preventing new image generation, and package updates in
general, when this happens as a trigger for update-initramfs.

Originally I thought this was related to the kernel version, since I was
unable to reproduce in a freshly installed machine running -22 and was
reproducing it in a machine running -20, but now I'm also reproducing it
in a machine running -22, so it must be something else.

I'm sorry I can't provide the exact cause right now, but I think it's
worth noting that in some situation there might be a problem, and try to
find out which those situations are.

I now have one host running 3.13.0-22-generic, with
libc6-x32=2.19-0ubuntu3, where doing ldd /usr/bin/ldd hangs, and another
host, with the exact same kernel and libc6-x32 version where doing ldd
/usr/bin/ldd produces the expected error message (not a dynamic
executable).  The main difference is that the first one was installed
yesterday and the second one was installed today.  Both are dist-
upgraded to the latest version of everything.

** Affects: eglibc (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1302605

Title:
  Calls to /libx32/ld-linux-x32.so.2 hang

Status in “eglibc” package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  I'm running trusty on a bunch of machines, doing frequent dist-
  upgrades.  My hosts have gcc-multilib installed.

  Yesterday, I noticed that initramfs generation was hanging.  Today I
  investigated further and found out that what was hanging were the
  calls to /libx32/ld-linux-x32.so.2.

  This is triggered in initramfs generation because there are at some
  hooks that incorrectly use copy_exec to copy shell scripts into the
  initramfs image.  In a working machine, when ldd encounters a shell
  script, it will first call the 64bit linker and since it fails, it
  will then call the 32bit linker which will also fail.

  However, in a machine affected by this bug, the second call will hang
  forever, preventing new image generation, and package updates in
  general, when this happens as a trigger for update-initramfs.

  Originally I thought this was related to the kernel version, since I
  was unable to reproduce in a freshly installed machine running -22 and
  was reproducing it in a machine running -20, but now I'm also
  reproducing it in a machine running -22, so it must be something else.

  I'm sorry I can't provide the exact cause right now, but I think it's
  worth noting that in some situation there might be a problem, and try
  to find out which those situations are.

  I now have one host running 3.13.0-22-generic, with
  libc6-x32=2.19-0ubuntu3, where doing ldd /usr/bin/ldd hangs, and
  another host, with the exact same kernel and libc6-x32 version where
  doing ldd /usr/bin/ldd produces the expected error message (not a
  dynamic executable).  The main difference is that the first one was
  installed yesterday and the second one was installed today.  Both are
  dist-upgraded to the latest version of everything.

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