# Not generating initramfs.img and vmlinuz in /boot directory **URL:** \ **Category:** Rocky Linux Help & Support\ **Tags:** rocky-linux-9\ **Created:** [August 4, 2024, 3:26am UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/not-generating-initramfs-img-and-vmlinuz-in-boot-directory/15329 "2024-08-04T03:26:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nihi1ist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/35a633/32.png) [@nihi1ist](https://forums.rockylinux.org/u/nihi1ist)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2024, 3:26am UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/not-generating-initramfs-img-and-vmlinuz-in-boot-directory/15329/1 "2024-08-04T03:26:35Z")
Hello! English is not my main language, so I apologize for any mistakes. I installed rEFInd and uninstalled Grub2. As a result, initramfs.img and vmlinuz for new kernels are no longer generated. I tried to do this manually with the command: ```auto sudo dracut --regenerate-all --force ``` and ```auto sudo dracut --force ``` How can I get initramfs.img and vmlinuz generation back for current and new kernels? ---
**Author:** ![jlehtone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9a140/32.png) [@jlehtone](https://forums.rockylinux.org/u/jlehtone)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2024, 8:00am UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/not-generating-initramfs-img-and-vmlinuz-in-boot-directory/15329/2 "2024-08-04T08:00:33Z")
The package `kernel-core-${VER}` claims to own/provide `/boot/vmlinuz-${VER}` and `/boot/initramfs-${VER}.img` The vmlinuz file ought to be installed (copied) from package to /boot/ The initramfs file is apparently generated by a line in posttrans script of the package: `/bin/kernel-install add ...` I presume that the `/bin/kernel-install` invokes dracut. If the kernel-install or dracut acts on only when something (from GRUB packages) is present, then that would explain the lack of initramfs, but not the lack of vmlinuz. ---
**Author:** ![jbkt23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@jbkt23](https://forums.rockylinux.org/u/jbkt23)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2024, 11:57am UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/not-generating-initramfs-img-and-vmlinuz-in-boot-directory/15329/3 "2024-08-04T11:57:05Z")
The /bin/kernel-install script has a number of tests to determine what kind of system it is on and from those tests makes an assumption as to where to install the kernel and initramfs. It may be that the kernel is being installed to a different location now that you have removed grub2. Maybe in /boot/efi/EFI/ somewhere. As far as I know rEFInd does not require the removal of grub2. This may take a lot of time to figure out and fix. ---
**Author:** ![nihi1ist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/35a633/32.png) [@nihi1ist](https://forums.rockylinux.org/u/nihi1ist)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2024, 6:46am UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/not-generating-initramfs-img-and-vmlinuz-in-boot-directory/15329/4 "2024-08-13T06:46:26Z")
Yes, you are right, `kernel-install` is trying to install in `/boot/efi`: ```bash kernel-install add 6.10.3-200.fc40.x86_64 /usr/lib/modules/6.10.3-200.fc40.x86_64/vmlinuz cp: error writing '/boot/efi/e77df060298e4fd5aa3b415c3ed06017/0-rescue/initrd': No space left on device dracut[F]: Creation of /boot/efi/e77df060298e4fd5aa3b415c3ed06017/0-rescue/initrd failed /usr/lib/kernel/install.d/51-dracut-rescue.install: line 91: /boot/efi/loader/entries/e77df060298e4fd5aa3b415c3ed06017-0-rescue.conf: No such file or directory /usr/lib/kernel/install.d/51-dracut-rescue.install failed with exit status 2. ``` How to specify the correct directory? ---
**Author:** ![jlehtone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9a140/32.png) [@jlehtone](https://forums.rockylinux.org/u/jlehtone)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2024, 7:28am UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/not-generating-initramfs-img-and-vmlinuz-in-boot-directory/15329/5 "2024-08-13T07:28:29Z")
The `51-dracut-rescue.install` is from package `dracut-config-rescue` and for creating “rescue” version. The logic in it is probably same as in other kernel-install scripts. It asks “does directory exists?”. If not, fallback is the `/boot`. For some reason you seem to have `/boot/efi/${MACHINE_ID}/` – that is not in default. This script gets the name of directory as argument, so some other script calls it. Do you really have `/boot/efi/${MACHINE_ID}/` and what is in it? * * * > [@nihi1ist](#): > > `add 6.10.3-200.fc40.x86_64` Why `fc40`? ELRepo offers `kernel-ml` – currently `6.10.4-1.el9.elrepo` – and that is built for el9. ---
**Author:** ![nihi1ist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/35a633/32.png) [@nihi1ist](https://forums.rockylinux.org/u/nihi1ist)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2024, 7:44am UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/not-generating-initramfs-img-and-vmlinuz-in-boot-directory/15329/6 "2024-08-13T07:44:00Z")
> [@jlehtone](#): > > Do you really have `/boot/efi/${MACHINE_ID}/` and what is in it? Yes, there is such a directory. ```bash tree /boot/efi/9d29011577c3487396876de00eb4b763/ /boot/efi/9d29011577c3487396876de00eb4b763/ ├── 5.14.0-427.26.1.el9_4.x86_64 │ └── initrd ├── 5.14.0-427.28.1.el9_4.x86_64 │ └── initrd └── 6.9.8-1.el9.elrepo.x86_64 └── initrd ``` I created it manually after I got an error the first time I tried to generate the necessary files. > [@jlehtone](#): > > Why `fc40`? ELRepo offers `kernel-ml` – currently `6.10.4-1.el9.elrepo` – and that is built for el9. Sorry, it’s my bad. I have Fedora (my workstation) and Rocky Linux (my test server). ---
**Author:** ![jlehtone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9a140/32.png) [@jlehtone](https://forums.rockylinux.org/u/jlehtone)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2024, 7:59am UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/not-generating-initramfs-img-and-vmlinuz-in-boot-directory/15329/7 "2024-08-13T07:59:27Z")
> [@nihi1ist](#): > > I created it manually after I got an error the first time I tried to generate the necessary files. In other words, dracut did try to write where we don’t want it to write to. Then you did help it to “do the wrong thing”, which did not make things better. Perhaps reinstall of the GRUB packages would be a better solution. * * * An issue is that the ESP (EFI System Partition) mounted on /boot/efi is smaller than /boot. The latter defaults to 1 GB and some people manage to fill even that with kernels … ---
**Author:** ![mrd83](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forums.rockylinux.org/mrd83/32/4638_2.png) [@mrd83](https://forums.rockylinux.org/u/mrd83)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2024, 8:30am UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/not-generating-initramfs-img-and-vmlinuz-in-boot-directory/15329/8 "2024-08-13T08:30:06Z")
@nihi1ist @jbkt23 Let me add an interesting fact - that also solves the problem in 2 minutes: using dracut with “-f” parameter **followed by a directory** results in new initrd saved **in that directory**. (I just tested it to be sure - works like a charm). Proof: ![1](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/uploads/rockylinux/original/2X/b/b767ef383c2adf1a52ec9d4d9db16eb41b40b01b.png) Result: (in the next post, new user restriction) ---
**Author:** ![mrd83](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forums.rockylinux.org/mrd83/32/4638_2.png) [@mrd83](https://forums.rockylinux.org/u/mrd83)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2024, 8:30am UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/not-generating-initramfs-img-and-vmlinuz-in-boot-directory/15329/9 "2024-08-13T08:30:42Z")
@jlehtone Result: ![2](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/uploads/rockylinux/original/2X/0/0714bda18cb10a7379ee3e47c1b58483ea2f8e63.png) ---
**Author:** ![jlehtone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9a140/32.png) [@jlehtone](https://forums.rockylinux.org/u/jlehtone)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2024, 8:51am UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/not-generating-initramfs-img-and-vmlinuz-in-boot-directory/15329/10 "2024-08-13T08:51:32Z")
- The `dnf up` will not call dracut with `-f snafu` - If every kernel would overwrite the `snafu/initramfs.img`, then only the last would have valid initramfs image. That is why the two approaches that we have seen have either `/boot/initrd-$kver.img` or `snafu/$kver/initrd.img` * * * PS. Copy-paste of text is at least as easy to obfuscate as bitmap images. ---
**Author:** ![nihi1ist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/35a633/32.png) [@nihi1ist](https://forums.rockylinux.org/u/nihi1ist)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2024, 6:21am UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/not-generating-initramfs-img-and-vmlinuz-in-boot-directory/15329/11 "2024-08-14T06:21:31Z")
How can I run drakut for a specific kernel? ---
**Author:** ![jlehtone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9a140/32.png) [@jlehtone](https://forums.rockylinux.org/u/jlehtone)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2024, 7:09am UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/not-generating-initramfs-img-and-vmlinuz-in-boot-directory/15329/12 "2024-08-14T07:09:39Z")
See `man dracut` It has examples: > `dracut foobar.img 2.6.40-1.rc5.f20` > `dracut --kver 2.6.40-1.rc5.f20` There is also the note: > If `` is omitted or empty, depending on bootloader specification, the default location can be `/efi///initrd`, `/boot///initrd`, `/boot/efi///initrd`, `/lib/modules//initrd` or`/boot/initramfs-.img`. The `/usr/bin/dracut` is a Bash script and seems to have something like: ```bash if [[-d "$dracutsysrootdir"/efi/loader/entries || -L "$dracutsysrootdir"/efi/loader/entries]] \ && [[$MACHINE_ID]] \ && [[-d "$dracutsysrootdir"/efi/${MACHINE_ID} || -L "$dracutsysrootdir"/efi/${MACHINE_ID}]]; then # 1 outfile="$dracutsysrootdir/efi/${MACHINE_ID}/${kernel}/initrd" elif [[-d "$dracutsysrootdir"/boot/loader/entries || -L "$dracutsysrootdir"/boot/loader/entries]] \ && [[$MACHINE_ID]] \ && [[-d "$dracutsysrootdir"/boot/${MACHINE_ID} || -L "$dracutsysrootdir"/boot/${MACHINE_ID}]]; then # 2 outfile="$dracutsysrootdir/boot/${MACHINE_ID}/${kernel}/initrd" elif [[-d "$dracutsysrootdir"/boot/efi/loader/entries || -L "$dracutsysrootdir"/boot/efi/loader/entries]] \ && [[$MACHINE_ID]] \ && [[-d "$dracutsysrootdir"/boot/efi/${MACHINE_ID} || -L "$dracutsysrootdir"/boot/efi/${MACHINE_ID}]]; then # 3 outfile="$dracutsysrootdir/boot/efi/${MACHINE_ID}/${kernel}/initrd" elif [[-f "$dracutsysrootdir"/lib/modules/${kernel}/initrd]]; then # 4 outfile="$dracutsysrootdir/lib/modules/${kernel}/initrd" elif [[-e $dracutsysrootdir/boot/vmlinuz-${kernel}]]; then # 5 outfile="$dracutsysrootdir/boot/initramfs-${kernel}.img" elif [[-z $dracutsysrootdir]] \ && [[$MACHINE_ID]] \ && mountpoint -q /efi; then # 6 outfile="/efi/${MACHINE_ID}/${kernel}/initrd" elif [[-z $dracutsysrootdir]] \ && [[$MACHINE_ID]] \ && mountpoint -q /boot/efi; then # 7 outfile="/boot/efi/${MACHINE_ID}/${kernel}/initrd" else # 8 outfile="$dracutsysrootdir/boot/initramfs-${kernel}.img" fi ``` The Rocky default is apparently #5. The #2 would be ok too. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/uploads/rockylinux/original/1X/91b7219eec10e30013422e4df76c1d898711a5d5.svg) [@system](https://forums.rockylinux.org/u/system)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2024, 7:10am UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/not-generating-initramfs-img-and-vmlinuz-in-boot-directory/15329/13 "2024-10-13T07:10:20Z")
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