From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Sat Sep 22 10:14:28 2007 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 6834916A494 for ; Sat, 22 Sep 2007 10:14:28 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from gabe@dragffy.com) Received: from dedi10.ukhost4u.com (dedi10.ukhost4u.com [85.13.239.35]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 2AD7A13C455 for ; Sat, 22 Sep 2007 10:14:28 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from gabe@dragffy.com) Received: from 88-105-44-36.dynamic.dsl.as9105.com ([88.105.44.36] helo=[192.168.1.66]) by dedi10.ukhost4u.com with esmtpa (Exim 4.68) (envelope-from ) id 1IZ20E-0008DN-MN for freebsd-questions@freebsd.org; Sat, 22 Sep 2007 11:14:22 +0100 Mime-Version: 1.0 (Apple Message framework v752.3) In-Reply-To: <20070922074223.GA22262@slackbox.xs4all.nl> References: <9F2B2568-9F37-4422-85F4-4740533A0DAD@dragffy.com> <20070922074223.GA22262@slackbox.xs4all.nl> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed Message-Id: <90DBAB93-BBDF-48A4-8B48-AECCAF872683@dragffy.com> Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit From: Gabriel Dragffy Date: Sat, 22 Sep 2007 11:14:17 +0100 To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.752.3) X-AntiAbuse: This header was added to track abuse, please include it with any abuse report X-AntiAbuse: Primary Hostname - dedi10.ukhost4u.com X-AntiAbuse: Original Domain - freebsd.org X-AntiAbuse: Originator/Caller UID/GID - [47 12] / [47 12] X-AntiAbuse: Sender Address Domain - dragffy.com X-Source: X-Source-Args: X-Source-Dir: Subject: Re: Software RAID5 X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sat, 22 Sep 2007 10:14:28 -0000 On 22 Sep 2007, at 08:42, Roland Smith wrote: > On Fri, Sep 21, 2007 at 11:50:58PM +0100, Gabriel Dragffy wrote: >> Hi all >> >> Hoping to get some help setting up software RAID5. Guides on the >> internet >> seem to be few and far between, and official documentation is a >> little too >> technical. Basically I have 3 x 500GB hard drives which I'd like >> to have in >> a raid5 configuration, using software, root partition on their too >> would be >> a bonus. I'd be grateful for assistance. > > What you need for RAID5 is gvinum(8), which replaces the older vinum > (4) > driver. > Hi, reading the BSD Handbook I did find this out and I've been trying to use it. > If you google for gvinum you'll find tutorials etc. I have found a couple of tutorials but like I said it is either too technical, or not descriptive enough and none of them describe root on raid 5 :( > > AFAICT, you can't have the root device on a RAID5 gvinum. Just make a > small root partition. I read in the FreeBSD hanbook that I can have root on raid 5 by doing the following: "There is another option as well, to have /boot/loader (Section 12.3.3) load the vinum kernel module early, before starting the kernel. This can be accomplished by putting the line: geom_vinum_load="YES" into the file /boot/loader.conf." This was on the following page: http://www.freebsd.org/doc/ en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/vinum-root.html The handbook is good, but it only describes how to do raid 0 and raid 1, it says I can do raid 5 but doesn't describe the process. I also totally stumped at how to make a raid 5 device and install freebsd on it - the sysinstall doesn't allow the configuration of raid arrays and I can only install to a slice. I need access to tools such as gvinum before installation... but how? Oh the pain! best regards gabriel > > Roland > -- > R.F.Smith http://www.xs4all.nl/ > ~rsmith/ > [plain text _non-HTML_ PGP/GnuPG encrypted/signed email much > appreciated] > pgp: 1A2B 477F 9970 BA3C 2914 B7CE 1277 EFB0 C321 A725 (KeyID: > C321A725)