devfs & mtd

Hi, i'm using a DiskOnChip 2000 48MB, with a 2.4.20 kernel, the CVS MTD patches and a patched grub CVS.

I'm also running devfsd, but only to set up legacy /dev nodes, (-np).

All works fine, as long as I use /dev/root as the root fs in fstab. If I try to use /dev/nftl/disk0/part1, (which exists), the filesystem fails to mount at init, (even read-only), stating that the device cannot be found.

Yes, devfsd starts _before_ the filesystem mount.

Setting the root filesystem to /dev/root, (which points to /dev/nftl/disk0/part1 !), works fine.

Additionally, I still have to pass root=/dev/nftla1 to the kernel, even though this location doesn't exist!

Please can someone help me understand how this archaic mess up works :)

Cheers,
MAL