Re: CVS commit: src/sbin/init

[Alan Barrett <apb%cequrux.com@localhost>]

On Fri, 23 Mar 2007, Hubert Feyrer wrote:
> On Sat, 24 Mar 2007, matthew green wrote:
> >  Call the pivot root by it's name.
> >
> >do you mean, like the linux method?  i'm not sure this is the right
> >term to use then, since that is done in-kernel and not at init.  it
> >has a similar effect, but the mechanics are different..  our method
> >keeps all the old root around as well.
> 
> This method was introduced by that name on our lists.

I seem to recall that somebody proposed adding a pivot root feature, but
we didn't ever do so.  A true "pivot root" feature would require a new
syscall to both change the kernel's idea of the root directory and save
the old root directory under a different name (and I think it would be a
good idea).  The init chroot feature doesn't change the kernel's idea of
the root directory, and it doesn't "pivot" anything; it just makes init
and all processes spawned by init run in a chroot.

--apb (Alan Barrett)