I'm not sure this is a hudson or daemon issue.
Ubuntu 8.04.1
Linux mrblack 2.6.24-19-generic #1 SMP Fri Jul 11 23:41:49 UTC 2008 i686 GNU/Linux

daemon 0.6.3-1
latest hudson

after a reboot hudson is not started and there is no way to start it. The temp
solution is to make that /var/run/hudson folder myself. Restarts work as long as
I don't reboot the machine.
xxx@xxx:~$ sudo mkdir /var/run/hudson
xxx@xxx:~$ sudo chown hudson /var/run/hudson

this is the message I after reboot:

xxx@xxx:~$ sudo /etc/init.d/hudson start
Invalid --pidfile argument: '/var/run/hudson/hudson.pid' (Parent directory does
not exist)
usage: daemon [options] [cmd arg...]
options:

-h, --help - Print a help message then exit
-V, --version - Print a version message then exit
-v, --verbose[=level] - Set the verbosity level
-d, --debug[=level] - Set the debugging level

-C, --config=path - Specify the configuration file
-N, --noconfig - Bypass the system configuration file
-n, --name=name - Guarantee a single named instance
-X, --command=cmd - Specify the client command as an option
-P, --pidfiles=/dir - Override standard pidfile location
-F, --pidfile=/path - Override standard pidfile name and location

-u, --user=user[.group] - Run the client as user[.group]
-R, --chroot=path - Run the client with path as root
-D, --chdir=path - Run the client in directory path
-m, --umask=umask - Run the client with the given umask
-e, --env="var=val" - Set a client environment variable
-i, --inherit - Inherit environment variables
-U, --unsafe - Allow execution of unsafe executable
-S, --safe - Deny execution of unsafe executable
-c, --core - Allow core file generation

-r, --respawn - Respawn the client when it terminates
-a, --acceptable=# - Minimum acceptable client duration
-A, --attempts=# - Respawn # times on error before delay
-L, --delay=# - Delay between spawn attempt bursts (seconds)
-M, --limit=# - Maximum number of spawn attempt bursts

-f, --foreground - Run the client in the foreground
-p, --pty[=noecho] - Allocate a pseudo terminal for the client

-l, --errlog=spec - Send daemon's error output to syslog or file
-b, --dbglog=spec - Send daemon's debug output to syslog or file
-o, --output=spec - Send client's output to syslog or file
-O, --stdout=spec - Send client's stdout to syslog or file
-E, --stderr=spec - Send client's stderr to syslog or file

--running - Check if a named daemon is running
--restart - Restart a named daemon client
--stop - Terminate a named daemon process
Invalid --pidfile argument: '/var/run/hudson/hudson.pid' (Parent directory does
not exist)
usage: daemon [options] [cmd arg...]
options:

-h, --help - Print a help message then exit
-V, --version - Print a version message then exit
-v, --verbose[=level] - Set the verbosity level
-d, --debug[=level] - Set the debugging level

-C, --config=path - Specify the configuration file
-N, --noconfig - Bypass the system configuration file
-n, --name=name - Guarantee a single named instance
-X, --command=cmd - Specify the client command as an option
-P, --pidfiles=/dir - Override standard pidfile location
-F, --pidfile=/path - Override standard pidfile name and location

-u, --user=user[.group] - Run the client as user[.group]
-R, --chroot=path - Run the client with path as root
-D, --chdir=path - Run the client in directory path
-m, --umask=umask - Run the client with the given umask
-e, --env="var=val" - Set a client environment variable
-i, --inherit - Inherit environment variables
-U, --unsafe - Allow execution of unsafe executable
-S, --safe - Deny execution of unsafe executable
-c, --core - Allow core file generation

-r, --respawn - Respawn the client when it terminates
-a, --acceptable=# - Minimum acceptable client duration
-A, --attempts=# - Respawn # times on error before delay
-L, --delay=# - Delay between spawn attempt bursts (seconds)
-M, --limit=# - Maximum number of spawn attempt bursts

-f, --foreground - Run the client in the foreground
-p, --pty[=noecho] - Allocate a pseudo terminal for the client

-l, --errlog=spec - Send daemon's error output to syslog or file
-b, --dbglog=spec - Send daemon's debug output to syslog or file
-o, --output=spec - Send client's output to syslog or file
-O, --stdout=spec - Send client's stdout to syslog or file
-E, --stderr=spec - Send client's stderr to syslog or file

--running - Check if a named daemon is running
--restart - Restart a named daemon client
--stop - Terminate a named daemon process