udev rules in /etc/udev/rules.d/ ignored/not-loaded on boot; exec manually OK at shell ?

[pgnd]

> You do realize that /etc/ is generally not transferred from the initrd
> to the host? If you look into /etc/ from the host, then no files you
> created there from the initrd will exist.

it doesn't appear that the rules are written to the initrd in the first place.

why not?  aren't they supposed to be?

if not, then how DOES one correctly write 'custom' udev rules to the initrd, and where specifically must they be located to get picked up?