From owner-freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.ORG Thu Sep 16 09:56:58 2010 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id D90181065673 for ; Thu, 16 Sep 2010 09:56:58 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from sperber@deinprogramm.de) Received: from h615406.serverkompetenz.net (h615406.serverkompetenz.net [81.169.143.132]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 950E48FC15 for ; Thu, 16 Sep 2010 09:56:58 +0000 (UTC) Received: from h615406.serverkompetenz.net (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by h615406.serverkompetenz.net (Postfix) with ESMTP id 188661706C; Thu, 16 Sep 2010 09:40:44 +0000 (UTC) Received: from eta.local (p5B204993.dip.t-dialin.net [91.32.73.147]) (using TLSv1 with cipher ADH-AES256-SHA (256/256 bits)) (No client certificate requested) by h615406.serverkompetenz.net (Postfix) with ESMTPSA id D92591704A; Thu, 16 Sep 2010 09:40:43 +0000 (UTC) Received: by eta.local (Postfix, from userid 2246) id 3B65385178F; Thu, 16 Sep 2010 11:40:43 +0200 (CEST) From: Michael Sperber To: Stefan Bethke References: Date: Thu, 16 Sep 2010 11:40:43 +0200 In-Reply-To: (Stefan Bethke's message of "Thu, 16 Sep 2010 11:29:33 +0200") Message-ID: User-Agent: Gnus/5.110011 (No Gnus v0.11) XEmacs/21.5-b29 (darwin) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Virus-Scanned: ClamAV using ClamSMTP Cc: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org Subject: Re: How to predict drive number change for 7.3->8.1 upgrade? X-BeenThere: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Production branch of FreeBSD source code List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 16 Sep 2010 09:56:58 -0000 Stefan Bethke writes: > Am 16.09.2010 um 11:05 schrieb Michael Sperber: > >> I just upgraded my desktop system from 7.3 to 8.1, and the main hard >> drive, which was /dev/ad6 before is now /dev/ad10. Consequently, the >> initial boot failed when trying to mount the root file system from ad6. >> >> The desktop system is now fixed, but I also have a rented server with >> only a serial console, and I worry that the upgrade is going to leave me >> with a dead machine. Is there any way to predict how the drive number >> changes? (Why does it change at all?) If so, what's the proper way to >> tell the system the initial root device *before* rebooting? > > If you have a serial console, you can always enter the root device at > the prompt, so you can recover there. I know. But given the serial-console problems recently reported here, I was a bit reluctant to take the risk. > Long-term, the best option is to label your filesystems or partitions, > and use the label entries in fstab instead of the device names. I > don't remember what 7.3 offers in terms of labels, but glabel should > be available. Check tunefs if it offers the -L volname option, that's > even better. That sounds like a good idea. Thanks! -- Regards, Mike