freebsd stable - Feb 2009 - ZFS root File System

I have been trying to set up a zfs root file system on 7.1.  It  
requires the loader gptzfsboot, which is in -CURRENT.  I have tried to  
import it to 7.1.  Before I delve into it. Has somebody already done it?

Aharon

On Fri, Feb 27, 2009, Dr. Aharon Friedman wrote:
> I have been trying to set up a zfs root file system on 7.1.  It requires 
> the loader gptzfsboot, which is in -CURRENT.  I have tried to import it 
> to 7.1.  Before I delve into it. Has somebody already done it?
As a general rule, I avoid using anything but a system's standard
file system for the root/boot file system(s), using the more
esoteric file systems for things mounted after boot.  While it
may feel nice to have nifty stuff, it can cause far more problems
that it's worth.

Bill
-- 
INTERNET:   bill@celestial.com  Bill Campbell; Celestial Software LLC
URL: http://www.celestial.com/  PO Box 820; 6641 E. Mercer Way
Voice:          (206) 236-1676  Mercer Island, WA 98040-0820
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suspect that if Microsoft ever met up with the devil, it wouldn't need an
interpreter. -- Nick Petreley

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Dr. Aharon Friedman wrote:
> I have been trying to set up a zfs root file system on 7.1.  It requires
> the loader gptzfsboot, which is in -CURRENT.  I have tried to import it
> to 7.1.  Before I delve into it. Has somebody already done it?
I think this means you want to "boot" from ZFS, not only making it the
/
file system.  Booting from ZFS would require some new code from -CURRENT
tree (sys/cddl/boot, etc) and there is some limitations, e.g. it can't
be used with RAID-Z volumes, etc.

My personal suggestion is that you either use -CURRENT, or wait until a
full MFC of ZFS v13, or use UFS /boot at this moment (note the fact that
/ can not be easily rolled back to previous state using ZFS's snapshot
feature, and can not be easily switched between clones, use caution when
working with the whole stuff).  Note that, given that ZFS is more
complicated than UFS, having it as / would make it harder when you got
some problems and boot with LiveFS disc (the bright side is that, if you
have mirrored volume as the boot volume, you get a better chance to
survive a disk failure).

Cheers,
- --
Xin LI <delphij@delphij.net>	http://www.delphij.net/
FreeBSD - The Power to Serve!
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