Same with 

  # sudo dracut --add-drivers iwlagn -f -l ./test.img

Been using a git clone of 9d49507f800f1ae34781e44600e833333887c90b before by mistake.

ERROR: modinfo: could not find module iwlagn

? so which module needs your firmware

(In reply to comment #2)
> ERROR: modinfo: could not find module iwlagn

I found the call to modinfo in the dracut source code.
I assumed its output could help you.  Nevermind, if it doesn't.


> ? so which module needs your firmware

I think it actually is iwlagn [1].  While Linux 2.6.37 looked for
iwlwifi-5000-2.ucode, 2.3.38 now looks for iwlwifi-5000-5.ucode:
            ^^^                                        ^^^
  #define IWL5000_UCODE_API_MAX 5
  (drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-5000.c)

I have the wifi driver compiled into the kernel (=Y, not =M).  Is that related?
Under what condition should Dracut pick up iwlwifi-5000-5.ucode?


[1] # sudo lspci | grep -i wifi
    03:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation Wireless WiFi Link 5300

    http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Intel_Wifi_Link_5300_%28AGN%29
                                                          ^^^

(In reply to comment #3)
> (In reply to comment #2)
> > ERROR: modinfo: could not find module iwlagn
> 
> I found the call to modinfo in the dracut source code.
> I assumed its output could help you.  Nevermind, if it doesn't.
> 
> 
> > ? so which module needs your firmware
> 
> I think it actually is iwlagn [1].  While Linux 2.6.37 looked for
> iwlwifi-5000-2.ucode, 2.3.38 now looks for iwlwifi-5000-5.ucode:
>             ^^^                                        ^^^
>   #define IWL5000_UCODE_API_MAX 5
>   (drivers/net/wireless/iwlwifi/iwl-5000.c)
> 
> I have the wifi driver compiled into the kernel (=Y, not =M).  Is that related?
> Under what condition should Dracut pick up iwlwifi-5000-5.ucode?
> 
> 
> [1] # sudo lspci | grep -i wifi
>     03:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation Wireless WiFi Link 5300
> 
>     http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Intel_Wifi_Link_5300_%28AGN%29
>                                                           ^^^

Ah, it's compiled in.. ok.

Use: CONFIG_FIRMWARE_IN_KERNEL
  Enabling this option will build each required firmware blob into the kernel directly, where request_firmware() willthem without having to call out to userspace. This may useful if your root file system requires a device which uses such firmware, and do not wish to use an initrd.

Better: make it a module..

Could Dracut at least warn about unset CONFIG_FIRMWARE_IN_KERNEL?

> (In reply to comment #2)
> I have the wifi driver compiled into the kernel (=Y, not =M).  Is that related?
> Under what condition should Dracut pick up iwlwifi-5000-5.ucode?

It can't really. Drivers that need firmware from userspace should be modules not built-in. Or all needed firmware should also be build into the kernel too.

Dracut or any other tool can not safely predict what firmware files will be requested, and also the kernel driver-init happens so early, where userspace isn't really ready to fullfill these firmware requests. Such requests need to be re-played by special userspace magic which may happen anytime later, and the kernel might even cancel the requests due to a timeout in the meantime.

So either build the driver as a module, or also compile the firmware into the kernel. Your combination of options can not really work reliably.(In reply to comment #3)

(In reply to comment #6)
> Could Dracut at least warn about unset CONFIG_FIRMWARE_IN_KERNEL?

NO, dracut has no business regarding warnings about such kernel config.

CONFIG_FIRMWARE_IN_KERNEL is for highly custom requirements, not for any common use case.

You need to make sure yourself, that your kernel works. And for that, better just use modules. :)

(In reply to comment #5)
> Use: CONFIG_FIRMWARE_IN_KERNEL
>   Enabling this option will build each required firmware blob into the kernel
> directly, where request_firmware() willthem without having to call out to
> userspace. This may useful if your root file system requires a device which
> uses such firmware, and do not wish to use an initrd.
> 
> Better: make it a module..

I looked up the description of FIRMWARE_IN_KERNEL in "make menuconfig" now:

  "Include in-kernel firmware blobs in kernel binary"
           ^^^^^^^^^
File iwlwifi-5000-5.ucode however is not in-kernel: it's external, package "net-wireless/iwl5000-ucode" in Gentoo.  Also I found out, I had CONFIG_FIRMWARE_IN_KERNEL=y all the time - so that doesn't seem to pull iwlwifi-5000-5.ucode into the kernel.

On the good end with

  CONFIG_IWLAGN=m

now Dracut is actually including the file:

  # dracut --add-drivers iwlagn -f -l ./test.img 

  # /usr/sbin/lsinitrd test.img | grep iwlwifi
  [..]
  [..] lib64/firmware/iwlwifi-5000-5.ucode