F12 Boot error message re mount of loop device

Bill Davidsen davidsen at tmr.com
Wed Dec 9 18:59:19 UTC 2009


David wrote:
> Maybe I'm doing something wrong, so I'm asking here first. If no-one
> points out a better way, I'll file a bug report.
> Also I'd appreciate guidance where best to file it.
> 
> During boot I want to mount an iso9660 file as a loop device. The iso
> file is on a ext3 partition labelled HUGE_01 which is mounted at
> /mnt/huge.
> 
> FILE = /mnt/huge/get/iso/Fedora-12-i386-DVD/Fedora-12-i386-DVD.iso
> MOUNTPOINT = /mnt/Fedora-12-i386-DVD.
> 
> The mount succeeds. However during boot I get this unnecessary failure message:
> 
> Mounting local filesystems: [ OK ]
> [snip]
> Mounting other filesystems:  mount: according to mtab
> /mnt/huge/get/iso/Fedora-12-i386-DVD/Fedora-12-i386-DVD.iso is already
> mounted on /mnt/Fedora-12-i386-DVD as loop  [ FAILED ]
> 
>>From a user perspective, this error message seems equivalent to:
> "Because we tried unnecessarily to mount this device a second time
> after it had already mounted successfully, we now report to you that
> the second attempt failed."
> 
> So a failure is reported where no failure occurred. Worse, a failure
> is reported for the reason that it already succeeded. This seems
> illogical and unnecessary. Unless I'm doing somethin' stoopid.
> Relevant details are below.
> 
> Thanks,
> David
> 
> #################################################
> 
> [f12 at kablamm ~]$ cat /etc/fstab
> LABEL=kablamm_C		/                       ext3    defaults        1 1
> LABEL=kablamm_Z		/boot                   ext2    defaults        1 2
> LABEL=BIG_01		/mnt/big                ext3    defaults        1 2
> LABEL=HUGE_01		/mnt/huge               ext3    defaults        1 2
> LABEL=kablamm_H		/home                   ext3    defaults        1 2
> LABEL=kablamm_S		swap                    swap    defaults        0 0
> tmpfs                   /dev/shm                tmpfs   defaults        0 0
> devpts                  /dev/pts                devpts  gid=5,mode=620  0 0
> sysfs                   /sys                    sysfs   defaults        0 0
> proc                    /proc                   proc    defaults        0 0
> /mnt/huge/get/iso/Fedora-12-i386-DVD/Fedora-12-i386-DVD.iso	/mnt/Fedora-12-i386-DVD	iso9660	loop,ro,gid=share
> 0 0

There's a secret way to do this, called "man fstab." Those numbers at the end of 
the line are not random, they control the mounting order. So you are trying to 
mount the DVD file before you mount the filesystem providing the ISO image file. 
Change the "0 0" to something reasonable, I think "1 3" will work, or "2 1" if 
it doesn't.

-- 
Bill Davidsen <davidsen at tmr.com>
   "We have more to fear from the bungling of the incompetent than from
the machinations of the wicked."  - from Slashdot




More information about the fedora-list mailing list