>> [...] it prompts for a pathname for init.
> Sounds reasonable, but if the option isn't given, I'd prefer the
> kernel to try a list of paths before prompting - simply on the
> assumption that I trust the people who built the kernel code to know,
> or be able to find, where a backup copy of init will be put -

It depends on who put it wherever it got put.  But this seems
reasonable enough; I'll have a look and see how hard it would be to
make a list of defaults available somehow.  I'm not sure I'd do it
"before prompting", but I certainly have no problem with something like

Path to init [RETURN to try default locations]:

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