With the upcoming move to requiring an initramfs for separate /usr, the install handbook needs to be very clear that users who want separate /usr MUST use initramfs/other early boot mechanisms. It also might be advisable to not suggest separate /usr in the example.
The partitioning instructions use a /boot, root and swap partition. Nothing about separate /usr. Configuring the kernel has an entire section on initramfs, including: """ (Optional) Building an Initramfs If you use a specific partition layout where important file system locations (like /usr or /var) are on separate partitions, then you will need to setup an initramfs so that this partition can be mounted before it is needed. """ Only for sparc do we still have a /usr example. In the explanation about partitioning, we have: """ Another nuisance is that separate partitions - especially for important mountpoints like /usr or /var - often require the administrator to boot with an initramfs to mount the partition before other boot scripts start. """ Marking this was WORKSFORME.
Just as a note, /var is not an example of a file system that requires an initramfs it is separate. This only applies to /usr.
Are you sure on that? It's been a while, but I thought I had services break a bit (nothing major, mostly during shutdown of the system) because they couldn't locate their .pid file or certain sockets. Reason was that, even though the files existed, they were hidden from the system because another file system was mounted on top of it.