Job dev-sda5.device/start timed out.
Timed out waiting for device dev-sda1.device.
This error appears on starting up the self-compiled kernel of branch linux-sunxi, on Misaka’s cubietruck with ArchlinuxARM. It was caused by an unset kernel option CONFIG_FHANDLE. As long as it is set to CONFIG_FHANDLE=y, wherever in .config or in menuconfig, systemd will be successfully started.
Misaka was confused, because there is an upgrade of systemd when Misaka applies this kernel for the first time. Misaka once thought the upgrade caused that problem. Kernel in ArchlinuxARM package core/linux-sun7i doesn’t have this problem, though it doesn’t support btrfs.
and, describes Misaka.