Не хватает зависимости на file(1) -- наступил на такие грабли:

> mki-scripts: Run: `/tmp/.private/mike/mkimage-profiles.build.g18uGKSgPj/stage1/scripts.d/80-make-initfs'
> mki-run: has started executing.
> hsh-run: changed working directory to `/tmp/.private/mike/mkimage-profiles.build.g18uGKSgPj/stage1/.work'
> hsh-run: Locked working directory `/tmp/.private/mike/mkimage-profiles.build.g18uGKSgPj/stage1/.work'
> hsh-run: Acquiring lock for config file `/etc/hasher-priv/user.d/mike'...
> hsh-run: Locked config file `/etc/hasher-priv/user.d/mike'
> ++ rpm -qa 'kernel-image*' --queryformat '%{version}-%{name}-%{release}\n'
> ++ sed s/kernel-image-//
> ++ head -n 1
> + kver=2.6.39-std-def-alt3
> + subst s/AUTODETECT/#AUTODETECT/ /etc/initrd.mk
> + '[' -f /etc/plymouth/plymouthd.conf ']'
> + echo 'FEATURES += propagator'
> + make-initrd --no-checks -k 2.6.39-std-def-alt3
> <27>Aug 21 13:29:31 udevd[27803]: error: runtime directory '/run/udev' not writable, for now falling back to '/dev/.udev'^M
> <27>Aug 21 13:29:31 udevd[27805]: error: runtime directory '/run/udev' not writable, for now falling back to '/dev/.udev'^M
> <27>Aug 21 13:29:31 udevd[27807]: error: runtime directory '/run/udev' not writable, for now falling back to '/dev/.udev'^M
> <27>Aug 21 13:29:31 udevd[27814]: error: runtime directory '/run/udev' not writable, for now falling back to '/dev/.udev'^M
> <27>Aug 21 13:29:31 udevd[27816]: error: runtime directory '/run/udev' not writable, for now falling back to '/dev/.udev'^M
> Config file: /etc/initrd.mk
> Generating module dependencies on host ...
> Creating initrd image ...
> make: *** [create] Error 127
> make: *** [all] Error 1
> + gzip
> /.host/script.sh: line 16: /boot/initrd-2.6.39-std-def-alt3.img: No such file or directory
> + '[' -h /boot/vmlinuz ']'
> + '[' -h /boot/initrd.img ']'
> + ln -s initrd-2.6.39-std-def-alt3.img /boot/initrd.img

По итогам разбора полётов (добавлением -x в хэшбэнг скриптов по ходу пьесы) выяснилось, что это /usr/share/make-initrd/tools/put-file::copy(); установка пакета вручную проблему исправила.