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Bug#648109: Impossible to use zfs as rootfs without creating a volume; should allow creating zfs filesystems (not just volumes)

November 08th, 2011 - 08:20 pm ET by Andras Korn | Report spam
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Package: partman-zfs
Version: 14
Severity: important
Tags: d-i

Hi,

I just tried to install Debian/kFreeBSD using yesterday's netinst.iso from
http://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/d...tinst.iso.

I had intended to use zfs as my rootfs, with the rpool itself being mounted
under / and perhaps /var, /usr and /tmp being separate zfs filesystems (not
volumes), so I could set different options on them.

There is apparently no way in the current installer to do this. The squeeze
installer allowed me to set a partition to "use as: zfs", and I could
specify a mountpoint.

Now, I can set it to "physical volume for zfs" and I can enter "configure
zfs" which allows me to create a pool. So far, so good - but there is no way
to specify the mountpoint for the pool, or to create filesystems (not
volumes) inside it.

Even switching to the 2nd console and setting up the mountpoints/filesystems
there doesn't help, because the partitioner doesn't realise /target has just
become a mountpoint and won't let the installation continue (it'd be nice if
there were a way to override that).

Justification for "important" severity: the bug makes the package almost
unusable (I'd say most people who want / on zfs don't need/want volumes).

Thanks and best regards,

Andras Korn <korn at elan.rulez.org>
Health is the slowest possible rate at which one can die.



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#1 Robert Millan
November 09th, 2011 - 01:40 am ET | Report spam
2011/11/9 Andras Korn :
I had intended to use zfs as my rootfs, with the rpool itself being mounted
under / and perhaps /var, /usr and /tmp being separate zfs filesystems (not
volumes), so I could set different options on them.



You have to create them as volumes. Afterwards you'll be given the
option to use ZFS in those "volumes", in which case they'll be
converted to native filesystems.

I'm sorry, I know this isn't obvious but this problem isn't easy to solve.

Robert Millan



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#2 Andras Korn
November 09th, 2011 - 06:50 am ET | Report spam
On Wed, Nov 09, 2011 at 07:38:52AM +0100, Robert Millan wrote:

Hi,

> I had intended to use zfs as my rootfs, with the rpool itself being mounted
> under / and perhaps /var, /usr and /tmp being separate zfs filesystems (not
> volumes), so I could set different options on them.

You have to create them as volumes. Afterwards you'll be given the
option to use ZFS in those "volumes", in which case they'll be
converted to native filesystems.

I'm sorry, I know this isn't obvious but this problem isn't easy to solve.



"Not obvious" is putting it mildly. :)

So how exactly is this supposed to work? I create the rpool, then create a
volume inside it to be used as /, another as /usr, another as /var and so
on?

And where do I then specify their mountpoints? At one point I had created
zfs filesystems manually on console 2 and set their mountpoints, but while
the "configure zfs" part of the partitioner listed them along with their
mountpoints, it didn't offer an option to change them.

I'll experiment with this about 12 hours from now, I suppose.

Thanks!

Andras Korn <korn at elan.rulez.org>
I hit the CTRL key but I'm still not in control!



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#3 Robert Millan
November 09th, 2011 - 01:10 pm ET | Report spam
2011/11/9 Andras Korn :
So how exactly is this supposed to work? I create the rpool, then create a
volume inside it to be used as /, another as /usr, another as /var and so
on?



Yes.

And where do I then specify their mountpoints? At one point I had created
zfs filesystems manually on console 2 and set their mountpoints, but while
the "configure zfs" part of the partitioner listed them along with their
mountpoints, it didn't offer an option to change them.



You'll see that option once the "volumes" are created.

It basically works the same way as LVM on GNU/Linux. You should have
no problem figuring it out, in case of doubt you can check the LVM
documentation.

Robert Millan



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#4 Andras Korn
November 09th, 2011 - 07:50 pm ET | Report spam
On Wed, Nov 09, 2011 at 06:55:57PM +0100, Robert Millan wrote:

Hi,

> So how exactly is this supposed to work? I create the rpool, then create a
> volume inside it to be used as /, another as /usr, another as /var and so
> on?

Yes.

> And where do I then specify their mountpoints? At one point I had created
> zfs filesystems manually on console 2 and set their mountpoints, but while
> the "configure zfs" part of the partitioner listed them along with their
> mountpoints, it didn't offer an option to change them.

You'll see that option once the "volumes" are created.



OK, I can confirm that this works. Thanks for pointing it out.

Unfortunately, it's completely non-obvious and counter-intuitive.

It basically works the same way as LVM on GNU/Linux. You should have
no problem figuring it out, in case of doubt you can check the LVM
documentation.



I know LVM and I also know zfs is different. :) When I saw the interface I
thought "omg, someone is abusing zfs to reimplement LVM" - it never occurred
to me that "formatting" the zfs volumes as zfs would convert them into
filesystems.

Andras Korn <korn at elan.rulez.org>
In Java, the exception is the rule.



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