zfs discuss - Nov 2008 - ZFS capable GRUB install from within Linux?

Is it possible to install a GRUB that can boot a ZFS root, but installing it
from within Linux?

I was planning on getting a new unmanaged dedicated server, which however only
comes with Linux preinstalled. The thing has a software RAID1, so the cunning
plan was to break up the RAID1, install VirtualBox RDP and install OpenSolaris
onto the freed drive. The only roadblock is GRUB at that point, which would
still reside on the existing Linux disk. Once OpenSolaris has been booted, I can
recreate the mirror and do a proper GRUB install.

Getting a IP-KVM attached to change BIOS settings is kind of the cost
I''d want to avoid here.

Any ideas?

Regards,
-mg
-- 
This message posted from opensolaris.org

on Tue Nov 11 2008, Mario Goebbels <me-AT-tomservo.cc> wrote:
> Is it possible to install a GRUB that can boot a ZFS root, but installing
it from
> within Linux?
>
> I was planning on getting a new unmanaged dedicated server, which however
only comes
> with Linux preinstalled. The thing has a software RAID1, so the cunning
plan was to
> break up the RAID1, install VirtualBox RDP and install OpenSolaris onto the
freed
> drive. The only roadblock is GRUB at that point, which would still reside
on the
> existing Linux disk. Once OpenSolaris has been booted, I can recreate the
mirror and
> do a proper GRUB install.
>
> Getting a IP-KVM attached to change BIOS settings is kind of the cost
I''d want to
> avoid here.
>
> Any ideas?
Hi Mario,

Did you get anywhere with this?  It occurs to me that I might get my
Linux/ZFS-fuse server to be entirely ZFS.  I''d really like to
accomplish
that if possible.

TIA,

-- 
Dave Abrahams
BoostPro Computing
http://www.boostpro.com

on Mon Dec 29 2008, David Abrahams <dave-AT-boostpro.com> wrote:
> on Tue Nov 11 2008, Mario Goebbels <me-AT-tomservo.cc> wrote:
>
>> Is it possible to install a GRUB that can boot a ZFS root, but
installing it from
>> within Linux?
>>
>> I was planning on getting a new unmanaged dedicated server, which
however only comes
>> with Linux preinstalled. The thing has a software RAID1, so the cunning
plan was to
>> break up the RAID1, install VirtualBox RDP and install OpenSolaris onto
the freed
>> drive. The only roadblock is GRUB at that point, which would still
reside on the
>> existing Linux disk. Once OpenSolaris has been booted, I can recreate
the mirror and
>> do a proper GRUB install.
>>
>> Getting a IP-KVM attached to change BIOS settings is kind of the cost
I''d want to
>> avoid here.
>>
>> Any ideas?
>
> Hi Mario,
>
> Did you get anywhere with this?  It occurs to me that I might get my
> Linux/ZFS-fuse server to be entirely ZFS.  I''d really like to
accomplish
> that if possible.
FWIW, I managed to build a source merge of the solaris grub-0.97 (with
ZFS capability) and ubuntu''s latest copy of grub-0.97 (with whatever
patches they''ve backported into it).  The sources are available at
http://groups.google.com/group/zfs-fuse/web/grub.merge-0.97.tar.gz Of
course, I''m not sure yet whether that''s enough to boot linux
from ZFS.

-- 
Dave Abrahams
BoostPro Computing
http://www.boostpro.com

On Tue, Dec 30, 2008 at 8:28 PM, David Abrahams <dave at boostpro.com>
wrote:
>
>
> FWIW, I managed to build a source merge of the solaris grub-0.97 (with
> ZFS capability) and ubuntu''s latest copy of grub-0.97 (with
whatever
> patches they''ve backported into it).  The sources are available at
> http://groups.google.com/group/zfs-fuse/web/grub.merge-0.97.tar.gz Of
> course, I''m not sure yet whether that''s enough to boot
linux from ZFS.
>
In addition, you would have to build a Linux Miniroot (or whatever it is
called) which supports ZFS.

I''ve seen posts about work in this regard by early explorers a long
time
ago, but thought I''d wait till a few people actually got it to work
before I
looked at it any more!

I quick google found:
http://groups.google.com/group/zfs-fuse/browse_thread/thread/3e781ace9de600bc/230ca0608235e216?lnk=gst&q=boot&rnum=1&pli=1

-- 
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
   Arthur C. Clarke

My blog: http://initialprogramload.blogspot.com
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