explicit init= was suddenly needed to boot Gentoo

Message

sigra · Post by **sigra** » Fri Mar 20, 2026 3:48 pm

Today I booted a new kernel version and it did not start the init system. It was not because of the new kernel version. To get into the system again, I had to:

Reboot and select a rescue mode that was available in lilo.

Code: Select all

mount /boot
mount -o remount,rw /dev/sda3 /

add
Code: Select all
```
   append="init=/lib/systemd/systemd"
```
to the default boot image in /etc/lilo.conf
Code: Select all
```
lilo
```

I don't know why this change was necessary. If you know, please let us know. If it happens to you too, the steps above might help.

zen_desu · Post by **zen_desu** » Fri Mar 20, 2026 4:47 pm

sigra wrote:Today I booted a new kernel version and it did not start the init system. It was not because of the new kernel version. To get into the system again, I had to:
Reboot and select a rescue mode that was available in lilo.
Code: Select all
mount /boot
mount -o remount,rw /dev/sda3 /
add
Code: Select all
   append="init=/lib/systemd/systemd"
to the default boot image in /etc/lilo.conf
Code: Select all
lilo
I don't know why this change was necessary. If you know, please let us know. If it happens to you too, the steps above might help.

no initrd? is there not a symlink from a standard init path to that systemd init file?

sigra · Post by **sigra** » Fri Mar 20, 2026 5:02 pm

I don't se initrd. There was a inittab file that was changed by something 2 days ago. It seems to be for openrc, not systemd. There is also the directory init.d and inittab.d.

jburns · Post by **jburns** » Fri Mar 20, 2026 6:07 pm

Systemd 260 removed support for System V service scripts is a possibility.

sigra · Post by **sigra** » Fri Mar 20, 2026 8:05 pm

Code: Select all

sys-apps/systemd
      Latest version available: 259.4-r1
      Latest version installed: 259.4-r1

GDH-gentoo · Post by **GDH-gentoo** » Fri Mar 20, 2026 9:37 pm

sigra wrote:There was a inittab file that was changed by something 2 days ago. It seems to be for openrc, not systemd. There is also the directory init.d and inittab.d.

sigra wrote:

Code: Select all

sys-apps/systemd
      Latest version available: 259.4-r1
      Latest version installed: 259.4-r1

That is a very strange mix of sysvinit + OpenRC and systemd... which shouldn't normally happen on Gentoo.

sigra · Post by **sigra** » Sat Mar 21, 2026 7:26 am

sysvinit is a dependency of systemd (even version 260) unless built with sysv-utils

OpenRC is not installed

GDH-gentoo · Post by **GDH-gentoo** » Sat Mar 21, 2026 1:26 pm

sigra wrote:sysvinit is a dependency of systemd (even version 260) unless built with sysv-utils

And sysv-utils is set for sys-apps/systemd on systemd profiles...

Post by **floppymaster** » Sat Mar 21, 2026 10:00 pm

I recently migrated the default-enabled behavior for the "sysv-utils" USE flag from the sys-apps/systemd ebuild into the systemd profiles. I did this to make it easier for people to install sys-apps/systemd and sys-apps/openrc at the same time on a non-systemd profile.

https://gitweb.gentoo.org/repo/gentoo.g ... 13a819e5ac

https://gitweb.gentoo.org/repo/gentoo.g ... 936bcf787b

If you are using systemd on a non-systemd profile, it is possible the USE flag got flipped off during a recent system update.

Using a systemd profile is not required to use sys-apps/systemd, but it is highly recommended.

explicit init= was suddenly needed to boot Gentoo

explicit init= was suddenly needed to boot Gentoo

Re: explicit init= was suddenly needed to boot Gentoo