From owner-freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.ORG  Sun Dec 28 19:44:32 2014
Return-Path: <owner-freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.ORG>
Delivered-To: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org
Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [8.8.178.115])
 (using TLSv1.2 with cipher AECDH-AES256-SHA (256/256 bits))
 (No client certificate requested)
 by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 7AC4D3D1
 for <freebsd-stable@freebsd.org>; Sun, 28 Dec 2014 19:44:32 +0000 (UTC)
Received: from wonkity.com (wonkity.com [67.158.26.137])
 (using TLSv1.2 with cipher ECDHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384 (256/256 bits))
 (Client CN "wonkity.com", Issuer "wonkity.com" (not verified))
 by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 26A7D64857
 for <freebsd-stable@freebsd.org>; Sun, 28 Dec 2014 19:44:32 +0000 (UTC)
Received: from wonkity.com (localhost [127.0.0.1])
 by wonkity.com (8.14.9/8.14.9) with ESMTP id sBSJiUtj098081
 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=DHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384 bits=256 verify=NO);
 Sun, 28 Dec 2014 12:44:30 -0700 (MST)
 (envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com)
Received: from localhost (wblock@localhost)
 by wonkity.com (8.14.9/8.14.9/Submit) with ESMTP id sBSJiTAY098078;
 Sun, 28 Dec 2014 12:44:30 -0700 (MST)
 (envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com)
Date: Sun, 28 Dec 2014 12:44:29 -0700 (MST)
From: Warren Block <wblock@wonkity.com>
To: Dr Josef Karthauser <joe@tao.org.uk>
Subject: Re: Creating a bootable ZFS disk?
In-Reply-To: <D0A7BDB3-0808-481C-B454-C45BDA529D17@tao.org.uk>
Message-ID: <alpine.BSF.2.11.1412281242160.86113@wonkity.com>
References: <1548B1FF-36E2-4AE4-ADD4-3B8872A9DF55@tao.org.uk>
 <549EC712.3010909@multiplay.co.uk> <549EC87C.2010909@multiplay.co.uk>
 <BBE0034F-B8F7-4E04-883C-8B4DE409D7E8@tao.org.uk>
 <alpine.BSF.2.11.1412271553170.60737@wonkity.com>
 <D0A7BDB3-0808-481C-B454-C45BDA529D17@tao.org.uk>
User-Agent: Alpine 2.11 (BSF 23 2013-08-11)
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed
X-Greylist: Sender IP whitelisted, not delayed by milter-greylist-4.4.3
 (wonkity.com [127.0.0.1]); Sun, 28 Dec 2014 12:44:30 -0700 (MST)
Cc: Steven Hartland <steven@multiplay.co.uk>, freebsd-stable@freebsd.org
X-BeenThere: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.18-1
Precedence: list
List-Id: Production branch of FreeBSD source code <freebsd-stable.freebsd.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/options/freebsd-stable>,
 <mailto:freebsd-stable-request@freebsd.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-stable/>
List-Post: <mailto:freebsd-stable@freebsd.org>
List-Help: <mailto:freebsd-stable-request@freebsd.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-stable>,
 <mailto:freebsd-stable-request@freebsd.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Sun, 28 Dec 2014 19:44:32 -0000

On Sun, 28 Dec 2014, Dr Josef Karthauser wrote:

> On 27 Dec 2014, at 22:57, Warren Block <wblock@wonkity.com> wrote:
>
>> On Sat, 27 Dec 2014, Dr Josef Karthauser wrote:
>>
>>> I only have 'zfs_load=?YES?? in my /boot/loader.conf. I?m hoping the problem is that I missed the ?-a4k? on the ?gpart add?. I?m starting again and will report back whether it now works or not! :).
>>
>> Misalignment just makes for slow performance, particularly on writes.
>>
>
> Ok, fixed. With -a4k is it now booting. Looks like the partitions weren?t aligned!

Alignment alone should not have fixed it.  While misaligned drives give 
poor performance, they should still work.