[arch-general] After the recent linux kernel update booting fails if usb disks are present in /etc/fstab

[Hector Martinez-Seara]

Hi,
After the last kernel update (I guess)  I cannot boot my system if a
external usb disk is present in /etc/fstab. I use default fstab  mount
options for the disks and they have each a single 1GB ext4 partition.
Note that the disk mount okay when mounted from the command line after
booting. Two identical disks has been tested with the same result so
is not a hardware problem. The disks tested are two Western digital
1TB Essential Edition 2.0 (Model: wd10000h1u).

In fact this problem was happening very seldom before (1 every 100
reboots) due to to the waking up time of the devices but now it is
every boot (only once worked). My question is: Has any thing changed
regarding the usb at boot time lately in the kernel? In fact, I have
notice a considerable speed up in the booting sequence up to the point
where the file system checking is done. Maybe the changes to speed up
the booting process have something to do with the problem I'm having?

In my case it looks like nothing is been asked to my external drives
when checking the filesystems at boot. Just after, the system fails
claiming that it has not found the disks. In the past (two days ago),
some activity in ligths and spining up sound was present when the
system was checking the filesystems, but now everything is quiet.

It is anybody else having the same problem?

In the meanwhile, as I do not use this disk for booting I have add the
nofail option to the fstab for the two disks. Now obviously everything
works but the drives are not mounted. Does anybody know the best place
to add the mount commands for the drives so they are always accessible
for the users after boot?

Thanks in advance,
Hector
-- 
Hector Martínez-Seara Monné
mail: hseara at gmail.com
Tel: +34656271145
Tel: +358442709253