debcrafters-packages team mailing list archive

[Benjamin Drung <2115490@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Public bug reported:

When installing a kernel package and a package with a trigger for
update-initramfs in one go, the update of the initramfs is skipped in
some cases.

In a clean chroot, populated with debootstrap for "trixie", run

```
apt install linux-image-amd64 plymouth-theme-mobian
```

Result:

```
[...]
Setting up linux-image-6.12.32-amd64 (6.12.32-1) ...
I: /vmlinuz.old is now a symlink to boot/vmlinuz-6.12.32-amd64
I: /initrd.img.old is now a symlink to boot/initrd.img-6.12.32-amd64
I: /vmlinuz is now a symlink to boot/vmlinuz-6.12.32-amd64
I: /initrd.img is now a symlink to boot/initrd.img-6.12.32-amd64
/etc/kernel/postinst.d/initramfs-tools:
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-6.12.32-amd64
Setting up linux-image-amd64 (6.12.32-1) ...
Setting up plymouth-theme-mobian (1.1) ...
update-alternatives: using /usr/share/plymouth/themes/mobian/mobian.plymouth to provide /usr/share/plymouth/themes/default.plymouth (default.plymouth) in auto mode
Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.41-8) ...
Processing triggers for initramfs-tools (0.148.2) ...
update-initramfs: /boot/initrd.img-6.12.32-amd64 has already been updated since Mon Jun 23 06:07:09 2025.
```

The initramfs is updated after setup of the kernel package. It is NOT
updated again after setup of package plymouth-theme-mobian, which is
wrong. The files that are installed by package plymouth-theme-mobian are
missing in the initramfs (and the plymouth splash screen will not work).

This is what happens here:

1. Another package is installed that calls "update-initramfs -u".  This
   activates the trigger, and we store a timestamp for it.
2. linux-image-6.12.32-amd64 is installed.  This calls the
   initramfs-tools hook which synchronously builds the initramfs.
3. plymouth-theme-mobian is installed.  This activates the trigger
   through a triggers control file.
4. The trigger runs and passes the timestamp from (1) through to
   update-initramfs.  update-initramfs sees the current image is newer
   than that, and skips the update.

We correctly handle the case where the trigger is only activated through
`update-initramfs -u`, or only through a triggers control file or direct
invocation of dpkg-trigger.  But when both methods are used, this bug is
possible because a timestmap file is present and it is wrong.

So revert the optimised trigger handling until dpkg itself records
timestamps for trigger activation (see https://bugs.debian.org/1099136).

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

** Affects: initramfs-tools (Ubuntu)
     Importance: High
         Status: Triaged

** Affects: initramfs-tools (Debian)
     Importance: Unknown
         Status: Unknown

** Bug watch added: Debian Bug tracker #1108204
   https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=1108204

** Also affects: initramfs-tools (Debian) via
   https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=1108204
   Importance: Unknown
       Status: Unknown

** Also affects: dracut (Ubuntu)
   Importance: Undecided
       Status: New

** Description changed:

- This reverts commit 7f2ed354cc8f966de444b8c278c208ea4e13ef75.
- 
  When installing a kernel package and a package with a trigger for
  update-initramfs in one go, the update of the initramfs is skipped in
  some cases.
  
  In a clean chroot, populated with debootstrap for "trixie", run
  
  ```
  apt install linux-image-amd64 plymouth-theme-mobian
  ```
  
  Result:
  
  ```
  [...]
  Setting up linux-image-6.12.32-amd64 (6.12.32-1) ...
  I: /vmlinuz.old is now a symlink to boot/vmlinuz-6.12.32-amd64
  I: /initrd.img.old is now a symlink to boot/initrd.img-6.12.32-amd64
  I: /vmlinuz is now a symlink to boot/vmlinuz-6.12.32-amd64
  I: /initrd.img is now a symlink to boot/initrd.img-6.12.32-amd64
  /etc/kernel/postinst.d/initramfs-tools:
  update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-6.12.32-amd64
  Setting up linux-image-amd64 (6.12.32-1) ...
  Setting up plymouth-theme-mobian (1.1) ...
  update-alternatives: using /usr/share/plymouth/themes/mobian/mobian.plymouth to provide /usr/share/plymouth/themes/default.plymouth (default.plymouth) in auto mode
  Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.41-8) ...
  Processing triggers for initramfs-tools (0.148.2) ...
  update-initramfs: /boot/initrd.img-6.12.32-amd64 has already been updated since Mon Jun 23 06:07:09 2025.
  ```
  
  The initramfs is updated after setup of the kernel package. It is NOT
  updated again after setup of package plymouth-theme-mobian, which is
  wrong. The files that are installed by package plymouth-theme-mobian are
  missing in the initramfs (and the plymouth splash screen will not work).
  
  This is what happens here:
  
  1. Another package is installed that calls "update-initramfs -u".  This
-    activates the trigger, and we store a timestamp for it.
+    activates the trigger, and we store a timestamp for it.
  2. linux-image-6.12.32-amd64 is installed.  This calls the
-    initramfs-tools hook which synchronously builds the initramfs.
+    initramfs-tools hook which synchronously builds the initramfs.
  3. plymouth-theme-mobian is installed.  This activates the trigger
-    through a triggers control file.
+    through a triggers control file.
  4. The trigger runs and passes the timestamp from (1) through to
-    update-initramfs.  update-initramfs sees the current image is newer
-    than that, and skips the update.
+    update-initramfs.  update-initramfs sees the current image is newer
+    than that, and skips the update.
  
  We correctly handle the case where the trigger is only activated through
  `update-initramfs -u`, or only through a triggers control file or direct
  invocation of dpkg-trigger.  But when both methods are used, this bug is
  possible because a timestmap file is present and it is wrong.
  
  So revert the optimised trigger handling until dpkg itself records
  timestamps for trigger activation (see bug #1099136).

-- 
You received this bug notification because you are a member of
Debcrafters packages, which is subscribed to initramfs-tools in Ubuntu.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/2115490

Title:
  update-initramfs trigger does not update the initramfs in some cases

Status in dracut package in Ubuntu:
  New
Status in initramfs-tools package in Ubuntu:
  Triaged
Status in initramfs-tools package in Debian:
  Unknown

Bug description:
  When installing a kernel package and a package with a trigger for
  update-initramfs in one go, the update of the initramfs is skipped in
  some cases.

  In a clean chroot, populated with debootstrap for "trixie", run

  ```
  apt install linux-image-amd64 plymouth-theme-mobian
  ```

  Result:

  ```
  [...]
  Setting up linux-image-6.12.32-amd64 (6.12.32-1) ...
  I: /vmlinuz.old is now a symlink to boot/vmlinuz-6.12.32-amd64
  I: /initrd.img.old is now a symlink to boot/initrd.img-6.12.32-amd64
  I: /vmlinuz is now a symlink to boot/vmlinuz-6.12.32-amd64
  I: /initrd.img is now a symlink to boot/initrd.img-6.12.32-amd64
  /etc/kernel/postinst.d/initramfs-tools:
  update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-6.12.32-amd64
  Setting up linux-image-amd64 (6.12.32-1) ...
  Setting up plymouth-theme-mobian (1.1) ...
  update-alternatives: using /usr/share/plymouth/themes/mobian/mobian.plymouth to provide /usr/share/plymouth/themes/default.plymouth (default.plymouth) in auto mode
  Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.41-8) ...
  Processing triggers for initramfs-tools (0.148.2) ...
  update-initramfs: /boot/initrd.img-6.12.32-amd64 has already been updated since Mon Jun 23 06:07:09 2025.
  ```

  The initramfs is updated after setup of the kernel package. It is NOT
  updated again after setup of package plymouth-theme-mobian, which is
  wrong. The files that are installed by package plymouth-theme-mobian are
  missing in the initramfs (and the plymouth splash screen will not work).

  This is what happens here:

  1. Another package is installed that calls "update-initramfs -u".  This
     activates the trigger, and we store a timestamp for it.
  2. linux-image-6.12.32-amd64 is installed.  This calls the
     initramfs-tools hook which synchronously builds the initramfs.
  3. plymouth-theme-mobian is installed.  This activates the trigger
     through a triggers control file.
  4. The trigger runs and passes the timestamp from (1) through to
     update-initramfs.  update-initramfs sees the current image is newer
     than that, and skips the update.

  We correctly handle the case where the trigger is only activated through
  `update-initramfs -u`, or only through a triggers control file or direct
  invocation of dpkg-trigger.  But when both methods are used, this bug is
  possible because a timestmap file is present and it is wrong.

  So revert the optimised trigger handling until dpkg itself records
  timestamps for trigger activation (see https://bugs.debian.org/1099136).

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