[PATCH v3] kbuild: modules-cpio-pkg: Respect INSTALL_MOD_PATH

[PATCH v3] kbuild: modules-cpio-pkg: Respect INSTALL_MOD_PATH

[Janne Grunau]

The modules-cpio-pkg target added in commit 2a9c8c0b59d3 ("kbuild: add
target to build a cpio containing modules") is incompatible with
initramfs with merged /lib and /usr/lib directories [1]. "/lib" cannot
be a link and directory at the same time.
Respect a non-empty INSTALL_MOD_PATH in the modules-cpio-pkg target so
that `make INSTALL_MOD_PATH=/usr modules-cpio-pkg` results in the same
module install location as `make INSTALL_MOD_PATH=/usr modules_install`.

Tested with Fedora distribution initramfs produced by dracut.

Link: https://systemd.io/THE_CASE_FOR_THE_USR_MERGE/ [1]
Fixes: 2a9c8c0b59d3 ("kbuild: add target to build a cpio containing modules")
Cc: stable@vger.kernel.org
Reviewed-by: Simon Glass <sjg@chromium.org>
Reviewed-by: Nathan Chancellor <nathan@kernel.org>
Reviewed-by: Thomas Weißschuh <thomas.weissschuh@linutronix.de>
Signed-off-by: Janne Grunau <j@jannau.net>
---
Hej,

this patch allows to produce modules-cpio initramfs which are compatible
with initramfs with merged /lib and /usr/lib (/lib as symlink to
/usr/lib). I expect initramfs of distributions with merged /usr to have
a merged /usr as well. This is at least true for Fedora initramfs built
with dracut.

Janne
---
Changes in v3:
- Drop comment added in v2, change is straight forward after dropping
  the repeated slash prevention
- collect Thomas' and Nathan's Rb:
- Link to v2: https://lore.kernel.org/r/20260325-kbuild-modules-cpio-pkg-usr-merge-v2-1-339ac87d82ea@jannau.net

Changes in v2:
- drop pointless avoidance of repeated slashes
- comment the changed Makefile rule
- break long modles-cpio-pkg help text to 2 lines
- imported Simon's Rb:
- add fixes tag for commit 2a9c8c0b59d3 ("kbuild: add target to build a cpio containing modules")
- Link to v1: https://lore.kernel.org/r/20260320-kbuild-modules-cpio-pkg-usr-merge-v1-1-cee1ad1bb7cb@jannau.net
---
 scripts/Makefile.package | 3 ++-
 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/scripts/Makefile.package b/scripts/Makefile.package
index 0ec946f9b905f74f8698d8d6967d22f5b76f64e0..6d36786ba31cefaf5ae2c6e2537d421b5bfb7a06 100644
--- a/scripts/Makefile.package
+++ b/scripts/Makefile.package
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ tar%-pkg: linux-$(KERNELRELEASE)-$(ARCH).tar.% FORCE
 .tmp_modules_cpio: FORCE
 	$(Q)$(MAKE) -f $(srctree)/Makefile
 	$(Q)rm -rf $@
-	$(Q)$(MAKE) -f $(srctree)/Makefile INSTALL_MOD_PATH=$@ modules_install
+	$(Q)$(MAKE) -f $(srctree)/Makefile INSTALL_MOD_PATH=$@/$(INSTALL_MOD_PATH) modules_install
 
 quiet_cmd_cpio = CPIO    $@
       cmd_cpio = $(CONFIG_SHELL) $(srctree)/usr/gen_initramfs.sh -o $@ $<
@@ -264,6 +264,7 @@ help:
 	@echo '  tarxz-pkg           - Build the kernel as a xz compressed tarball'
 	@echo '  tarzst-pkg          - Build the kernel as a zstd compressed tarball'
 	@echo '  modules-cpio-pkg    - Build the kernel modules as cpio archive'
+	@echo '                        (uses INSTALL_MOD_PATH inside the archive)'
 	@echo '  perf-tar-src-pkg    - Build the perf source tarball with no compression'
 	@echo '  perf-targz-src-pkg  - Build the perf source tarball with gzip compression'
 	@echo '  perf-tarbz2-src-pkg - Build the perf source tarball with bz2 compression'

---
base-commit: 6de23f81a5e08be8fbf5e8d7e9febc72a5b5f27f
change-id: 20260320-kbuild-modules-cpio-pkg-usr-merge-4266a460282c

Best regards,
-- 
Janne Grunau <j@jannau.net>

Re: [PATCH v3] kbuild: modules-cpio-pkg: Respect INSTALL_MOD_PATH

[Ahmad Fatoum]

Hi,

On 3/27/26 9:30 AM, Janne Grunau wrote:
> The modules-cpio-pkg target added in commit 2a9c8c0b59d3 ("kbuild: add
> target to build a cpio containing modules") is incompatible with
> initramfs with merged /lib and /usr/lib directories [1]. "/lib" cannot
> be a link and directory at the same time.
> Respect a non-empty INSTALL_MOD_PATH in the modules-cpio-pkg target so
> that `make INSTALL_MOD_PATH=/usr modules-cpio-pkg` results in the same
> module install location as `make INSTALL_MOD_PATH=/usr modules_install`.
> 
> Tested with Fedora distribution initramfs produced by dracut.
> 
> Link: https://systemd.io/THE_CASE_FOR_THE_USR_MERGE/ [1]
> Fixes: 2a9c8c0b59d3 ("kbuild: add target to build a cpio containing modules")
> Cc: stable@vger.kernel.org
> Reviewed-by: Simon Glass <sjg@chromium.org>
> Reviewed-by: Nathan Chancellor <nathan@kernel.org>
> Reviewed-by: Thomas Weißschuh <thomas.weissschuh@linutronix.de>

Reviewed-by: Ahmad Fatoum <a.fatoum@pengutronix.de>

Thanks,
Ahmad

> Signed-off-by: Janne Grunau <j@jannau.net>
> ---
> Hej,
> 
> this patch allows to produce modules-cpio initramfs which are compatible
> with initramfs with merged /lib and /usr/lib (/lib as symlink to
> /usr/lib). I expect initramfs of distributions with merged /usr to have
> a merged /usr as well. This is at least true for Fedora initramfs built
> with dracut.
> 
> Janne
> ---
> Changes in v3:
> - Drop comment added in v2, change is straight forward after dropping
>   the repeated slash prevention
> - collect Thomas' and Nathan's Rb:
> - Link to v2: https://lore.kernel.org/r/20260325-kbuild-modules-cpio-pkg-usr-merge-v2-1-339ac87d82ea@jannau.net
> 
> Changes in v2:
> - drop pointless avoidance of repeated slashes
> - comment the changed Makefile rule
> - break long modles-cpio-pkg help text to 2 lines
> - imported Simon's Rb:
> - add fixes tag for commit 2a9c8c0b59d3 ("kbuild: add target to build a cpio containing modules")
> - Link to v1: https://lore.kernel.org/r/20260320-kbuild-modules-cpio-pkg-usr-merge-v1-1-cee1ad1bb7cb@jannau.net
> ---
>  scripts/Makefile.package | 3 ++-
>  1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
> 
> diff --git a/scripts/Makefile.package b/scripts/Makefile.package
> index 0ec946f9b905f74f8698d8d6967d22f5b76f64e0..6d36786ba31cefaf5ae2c6e2537d421b5bfb7a06 100644
> --- a/scripts/Makefile.package
> +++ b/scripts/Makefile.package
> @@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ tar%-pkg: linux-$(KERNELRELEASE)-$(ARCH).tar.% FORCE
>  .tmp_modules_cpio: FORCE
>  	$(Q)$(MAKE) -f $(srctree)/Makefile
>  	$(Q)rm -rf $@
> -	$(Q)$(MAKE) -f $(srctree)/Makefile INSTALL_MOD_PATH=$@ modules_install
> +	$(Q)$(MAKE) -f $(srctree)/Makefile INSTALL_MOD_PATH=$@/$(INSTALL_MOD_PATH) modules_install
>  
>  quiet_cmd_cpio = CPIO    $@
>        cmd_cpio = $(CONFIG_SHELL) $(srctree)/usr/gen_initramfs.sh -o $@ $<
> @@ -264,6 +264,7 @@ help:
>  	@echo '  tarxz-pkg           - Build the kernel as a xz compressed tarball'
>  	@echo '  tarzst-pkg          - Build the kernel as a zstd compressed tarball'
>  	@echo '  modules-cpio-pkg    - Build the kernel modules as cpio archive'
> +	@echo '                        (uses INSTALL_MOD_PATH inside the archive)'
>  	@echo '  perf-tar-src-pkg    - Build the perf source tarball with no compression'
>  	@echo '  perf-targz-src-pkg  - Build the perf source tarball with gzip compression'
>  	@echo '  perf-tarbz2-src-pkg - Build the perf source tarball with bz2 compression'
> 
> ---
> base-commit: 6de23f81a5e08be8fbf5e8d7e9febc72a5b5f27f
> change-id: 20260320-kbuild-modules-cpio-pkg-usr-merge-4266a460282c
> 
> Best regards,

-- 
Pengutronix e.K.                  |                             |
Steuerwalder Str. 21              | http://www.pengutronix.de/  |
31137 Hildesheim, Germany         | Phone: +49-5121-206917-0    |
Amtsgericht Hildesheim, HRA 2686  | Fax:   +49-5121-206917-5555 |

Re: [PATCH v3] kbuild: modules-cpio-pkg: Respect INSTALL_MOD_PATH

[Nicolas Schier]

On Fri, Mar 27, 2026 at 09:30:29AM +0100, Janne Grunau wrote:
> The modules-cpio-pkg target added in commit 2a9c8c0b59d3 ("kbuild: add
> target to build a cpio containing modules") is incompatible with
> initramfs with merged /lib and /usr/lib directories [1]. "/lib" cannot
> be a link and directory at the same time.
> Respect a non-empty INSTALL_MOD_PATH in the modules-cpio-pkg target so
> that `make INSTALL_MOD_PATH=/usr modules-cpio-pkg` results in the same
> module install location as `make INSTALL_MOD_PATH=/usr modules_install`.
> 
> Tested with Fedora distribution initramfs produced by dracut.
> 
> Link: https://systemd.io/THE_CASE_FOR_THE_USR_MERGE/ [1]
> Fixes: 2a9c8c0b59d3 ("kbuild: add target to build a cpio containing modules")
> Cc: stable@vger.kernel.org
> Reviewed-by: Simon Glass <sjg@chromium.org>
> Reviewed-by: Nathan Chancellor <nathan@kernel.org>
> Reviewed-by: Thomas Weißschuh <thomas.weissschuh@linutronix.de>
> Signed-off-by: Janne Grunau <j@jannau.net>
> ---
> Hej,
> 
> this patch allows to produce modules-cpio initramfs which are compatible
> with initramfs with merged /lib and /usr/lib (/lib as symlink to
> /usr/lib). I expect initramfs of distributions with merged /usr to have
> a merged /usr as well. This is at least true for Fedora initramfs built
> with dracut.
> 
> Janne
> ---
> Changes in v3:
> - Drop comment added in v2, change is straight forward after dropping
>   the repeated slash prevention
> - collect Thomas' and Nathan's Rb:
> - Link to v2: https://lore.kernel.org/r/20260325-kbuild-modules-cpio-pkg-usr-merge-v2-1-339ac87d82ea@jannau.net
> 

Thanks!

Reviewed-by: Nicolas Schier <nsc@kernel.org>
Tested-by: Nicolas Schier <nsc@kernel.org>

-- 
Nicolas