dev/console catch 22

[Michael Cashwell]

I have a question about how to create my target's initial file system.

Basically, I'm finding that if I don't have the special character file
in /dev (made via "sudo mknod dev/console c 5 1") that I can't get a
serial console to work on my target device.

This is a real pain in terms of our developers' workflow. Everything
else can be done without habituating the use of sudo (including building
the target's kernel) so it seems odd indeed that it's needed for this
one dev node.

I don't like making the use of sudo routine. I'm going to get a lot of
static from my boss if I say, "Oh you have to build the target file
system with sudo on the build machine."

The target already mounts a tmpfs file system over its /dev and then
does the "mknod /dev/console c 5 1" magic early in /etc/rc but it seems
to not be early enough.

Is there some way to have init exit and rerun itself after it's done
those steps?

Anyone have any other ideas?

Any advice would be appreciated.

-Mike