This might be related to problem #1264. Finding module dependencies hangs at boot. It works from command line. This is why I chose initscripts component, not modutils. Anyway, to reproduce: Redhat box (here 6.0 + some updates). 2.2.14-12 kernel + headers + sources etc. 2.2.15 vanilla sources. 1) have Redhat patched source in /usr/src/linux 2) Have Redhat's default .config in /usr/src/linux (e.g. make oldconfig). 3) mv /usr/src/linux /usr/src/linux-rh 4) Unpack vanilla 2.2.15, copy Redhat's .config file to that directory, execute 'make oldconfig'. The module symbols will get broken by this (found it the hard way :) but it's not the point here. 5) make dep && make clean && make bzlilo && make modules && make modules_install or equivalent. 6) Reboot 7) System hangs at 'finding module dependencies'. On this box (P2-266, 128 MB mem), I waited for over an hour for it complete, no luck. Things to note: - When system hangs, the HDD is in heavy use for the first 5 seconds (real depmod -a), as for the rest, it quiets down totally. - depmod -a works (as in doesn't freeze) from command lines, takes like 5 seconds. Interesting behaviour: - After resetting the "frozen" computer, modules.dep it created was 8192 bytes long, ending with: --- /lib/modules/2.2.15/block/cpqarray.o: /lib/modules/2.2.15/block/xd.o: /lib/modules/2.2.1 ---- It seems to always be 8192 bytes. Conclusion: something very weird happens at bootup. perhaps rc.sysinit can't handle some problem in dependency finding.
You need an initscripts update; make sure you're running either the 6.1 errata initscripts, or the 6.2 initscripts.