[majewsky]

> Not being able to mount a separate /usr would negate that option.

You can mount the root to e.g. /mnt and symlink (or bind-mount) /mnt/usr to /usr, if that's what you need.

[dredmorbius]

Bind-mounting does give you some options. Still doesn't help if root's hosed.

And it wasn't an option when I'd first come up with this clever scheme.

One of my current challenges with Linux is identifying which information/education of mine is wholly outdated. This will happen to you in time as well....