From owner-freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Sun Jun 4 21:34:27 2017 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@mailman.ysv.freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:1900:2254:206a::19:1]) by mailman.ysv.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 24FF8BEFF6F for ; Sun, 4 Jun 2017 21:34:27 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from freebsd@edvax.de) Received: from mailrelay11.qsc.de (mailrelay11.qsc.de [212.99.187.252]) (using TLSv1.2 with cipher ECDHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384 (256/256 bits)) (Client CN "*.antispameurope.com", Issuer "TeleSec ServerPass DE-2" (verified OK)) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 8C1381D6C for ; Sun, 4 Jun 2017 21:34:26 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from freebsd@edvax.de) Received: from mx01.qsc.de ([213.148.129.14]) by mailrelay11.qsc.de; Sun, 04 Jun 2017 23:33:16 +0200 Received: from r56.edvax.de (port-92-195-63-139.dynamic.qsc.de [92.195.63.139]) (using TLSv1 with cipher DHE-RSA-AES256-SHA (256/256 bits)) (No client certificate requested) by mx01.qsc.de (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 243EC3CC42; Sun, 4 Jun 2017 23:33:15 +0200 (CEST) Received: from r56.edvax.de (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by r56.edvax.de (8.14.5/8.14.5) with SMTP id v54LXEHM003216; Sun, 4 Jun 2017 23:33:15 +0200 (CEST) (envelope-from freebsd@edvax.de) Date: Sun, 4 Jun 2017 23:33:14 +0200 From: Polytropon To: tyler@tysdomain.com Cc: FreeBSD Questions Subject: Re: various questions about booting and recovery Message-Id: <20170604233314.508eff47.freebsd@edvax.de> In-Reply-To: References: Reply-To: Polytropon Organization: EDVAX X-Mailer: Sylpheed 3.1.1 (GTK+ 2.24.5; i386-portbld-freebsd8.2) Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-cloud-security-sender: freebsd@edvax.de X-cloud-security-recipient: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-cloud-security-Virusscan: CLEAN X-cloud-security-disclaimer: This E-Mail was scanned by E-Mailservice on mailrelay11.qsc.de with 7D0E96A3588 X-cloud-security-connect: mx01.qsc.de[213.148.129.14], TLS=1, IP=213.148.129.14 X-cloud-security: scantime:.1323 X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.23 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sun, 04 Jun 2017 21:34:27 -0000 On Sun, 4 Jun 2017 13:02:59 -0400, Littlefield, Tyler wrote: > My biggest problem is that I always end up somehow breaking things and > then need to get eyeballs (I'm totally blind) to help me > recover/reinstall. Both systems are using zfs. I've tried to figure out > the multiboot environment, but not having much luck. I can force my > systme to reboot, but I'm curious if there's an easy way to set up > multiboot environments so I can boot configurations to test. If so, are > there some clear instructions somewhere on how to do so? Given that you're already using ZFS, Boot Environments (BEs) seems to be what you are looking for. There is a tool to easily do the "housekeeping", like creating snapshots, editing the boot attribues, and switching what to boot: beadm. Here are a few resources that will help you discover BEs: Manual page for beadm: https://www.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?beadm HOWTO for beadm: https://github.com/vermaden/beadm/blob/master/HOWTO.htm How To Use beadm to Upgrade FreeBSD installed in a ZFS Boot Environment, with minimal downtime: https://www.dweimer.net/?Content=03~help_files&Page=02~beadm_and_FreeBSD_on_ZFS > Finally, can I have it boot to an environment once and if it reboots > swap back to the old one? Yes, that's the exact purpose of ZFS+BEs in a nutshell. ;-) -- Polytropon Magdeburg, Germany Happy FreeBSD user since 4.0 Andra moi ennepe, Mousa, ...