Date: Tue, 24 Mar 2015 00:49:46 -0700 From: Mehmet Erol Sanliturk <m.e.sanliturk@gmail.com> To: Jason Birch <jbirch@jbirch.net> Cc: "freebsd-questions@freebsd.org" <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org> Subject: Re: Possible (or smart) to put freebsd-boot on USB stick for root-on-ZFS? Message-ID: <CAOgwaMtJpBboseqb295fr1Fdtw09dqFLqG5BVS4rWHPd_h2f7A@mail.gmail.com> In-Reply-To: <CAA=KUhvYfhJ9i_CU6Lhni0EB03zjPMBpBHOHLJ92THVs2owZxw@mail.gmail.com> References: <CAA=KUhvYfhJ9i_CU6Lhni0EB03zjPMBpBHOHLJ92THVs2owZxw@mail.gmail.com>
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On Mon, Mar 23, 2015 at 10:09 PM, Jason Birch <jbirch@jbirch.net> wrote: > Hey there, > > I'm looking at a relatively old resource > (https://wiki.freebsd.org/RootOnZFS/GPTZFSBoot/9.0-RELEASE) about how > to run root on ZFS for 9.0, and I noticed the section on installing > the boot section to all drives that make up the root. In my setup, > I'll only be mirroring two SSDs on 10.1, but it made me consider the > possibility of having the freebsd-boot partition on a USB stick rather > than on each drive itself for basically the following reason: > > Should an SSD die, I'd need to say "boot from this other device" to > get my system back up and running, do the original partitioning magic > on the replacement device, get that back into the vdev... Should the > USB stick die, I'd need to simply replace it with one that had the > same image (that is, only the boot partition), and `zpool replace` a > blank device (I won't have a swap partition). > > However, I can think of some downsides as well - namely that the USB > stick is probably more likely to die than the SSDs, and that the image > on the USB stick will change over time (This gets mounted as /boot? or > am I mistaken here... This would plague the freebsd-boot on the SSDs > as well, with drift...) > > Am I misinterpreting the point of freebsd-boot? Does /boot actually > end up living on the ZFS mount, and freebsd-boot just contains enough > information to read the kernel and other goodies required to bring up > a full system from a ZFS dataset? Is my thought to use a USB stick for > this partition a little thick or actually worth trying out? > > JB > _______________________________________________ > > Not a direct answer to your question , but only an example : I was using a FULL installation previously : Everything on the SAME HDD . When it was becoming necessary to install a new operating system , I was using another HDD and after installation on it the new OS , I was copying my files ( in my home directory in previous HDD ) into new installed HDD . This was taking approximately twelve hours . I one instance , my OS has been corrupted by a malicious inject ( this is my suspect because I could not find a true reason for what was the attack through "Bash" ) . Now , I am using the following set up : I am using TWO HDDs : One is ONLY OS , and other is for my data files ( all of them downloaded from Internet as open source project files ) mounted after installation of OS . When I want to upgrade to a new OS , I am using a NEW HDD ( I am NOT installing onto existing HDD ) by disconnecting power of existing OS and data HDDs . After installing the new OS and verifying that it is working correctly , I am powering the data HDD and using an fstab entry to mount it . I am keeping the old OS HDD for a NEW install . My suggestion : Use a USB stick or HDD ( revolving platter or SSD ) for ONLY OS and OTHER HDDs for your data files . OS my be on any convenient medium : revolving HDD , SSD , USB stick , it is not important . It may be in any form , it is not important . Important point is for your convenience : You may select any form . You may generate any number of copies of it as a spare for possible failures of used OS device : In case of failure , the only thing is to do is to shut down the computer , attach a spare OS medium and boot the computer . I am not using RAID , but "rsync" : one with -"-delete" as a replication of current data disk , another without "--delete" for fear of accidental deletions . I wish that my example may be useful for you . Thank you very much . Mehmet Erol Sanliturk
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