Date: Thu, 1 Sep 2022 19:10:10 -0700 From: paul beard <paulbeard@gmail.com> To: Dan Mahoney <freebsd@gushi.org> Cc: FreeBSD-questions <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org> Subject: Re: making a disk/slice bootable Message-ID: <CAMtcK2rsnAJUTrLfmUJxKOwZJkOW1UXDs5U--8Kz=QHuM%2B-eog@mail.gmail.com> In-Reply-To: <03F3F917-CCF5-44BB-85F0-00AD3ADF9818@gushi.org> References: <CAMtcK2r4L3SCba4EZt73=F2=fnBnEPGvEL3GCM_38R8_e5meXg@mail.gmail.com> <07BE254D-7701-47F2-94E3-09ED7229FB2B@gushi.org> <A99C0412-FD34-46D6-AB9A-AFC45FB10C10@gushi.org> <CAMtcK2qd%2BKstLC1oKZm9OPaOYh=gSHxYV=ZjCud2AF5G4n=-Aw@mail.gmail.com> <03F3F917-CCF5-44BB-85F0-00AD3ADF9818@gushi.org>
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--000000000000739d8a05e7a83bc2 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Thanks! That worked just fine but the mirrored/cloned disk has issues. And with no way to get 11.x source, I think I have some decisions to make about this system: upgrade and somehow move all the services across or just quit pretending I understand any of this stuff. Thanks again for the help=E2=80=A6 On Thu, Sep 1, 2022 at 5:52 PM Dan Mahoney <freebsd@gushi.org> wrote: > I haven't used recoverdisk. If you're going to mirror, use one of the > other things I mentioned. gmirror is low-impact and easy enough to use a= nd > supported by the various boot loaders. > > If you're just cloning disk to similar disk with rsync, you should not > need to do this more than once, unless maybe if you upgrade your system. > Normal freebsd-update upgrades do not generally touch the boot blocks. T= he > best advice I can give is "test this BEFORE you need it". Rip your prima= ry > drive out and see if you still boot. > > For a lightweight system, even zfs mirroring is okay, but it does use som= e > ram for caching and the like, so I wouldn't try it with a tiny embedded b= ox. > > -Dan > > On Sep 1, 2022, at 17:47, paul beard <paulbeard@gmail.com> wrote: > > yeah, I was pretty sure I was using the wrong tool=E2=80=A6thanks for thi= s. > > So a further Q=E2=80=A6if I continue to use recoverdisk from ports to mir= ror my > boot disk to a copy, is it best practice to do this on the mirror after t= he > mirroring is completed? For all I know there is a far better way to do th= at > but this is a FreeBSD 11 system (!) that has just been doing its thing fo= r > some years. So it worked (more or less) when it was set up. A backup you > can't use isn't much use, as I have learned (again, I expect). > > On Thu, Sep 1, 2022 at 5:20 PM Dan Mahoney <freebsd@gushi.org> wrote: > > > > Fdisk is for old-school partitions (where disks had only 1-4 primary > partitions, and then subdivided those partitions into "slices" (bsdlabel)= . > > > > I'm pretty sure the command you're looking for is: > > > > gpart bootcode -b /boot/pmbr -p /boot/gptboot -i 1 ada1 > > > > In english, this says: > > > > * Stick the "protective master boot record" on the root of the disk > (/boot/pmbr) > > * Write a partition boot label from the file specified... > > * to this indexed partition (-i 1) > > * ...on ada1 > > > > From there, you may need to tell the stage 0 loader where to find your > next bootable partition on the next boot() prompt. > > > > -Dan > > > > > > > On Sep 1, 2022, at 16:44, Dan Mahoney <freebsd@gushi.org> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > >> On Sep 1, 2022, at 16:41, paul beard <paulbeard@gmail.com> wrote: > > >> > > >> I have been mirroring the virtual disk in a FreeBSD vm for a couple > of years and the main disk got corrupted. The mirrored disk doesn't boot, > says it can't find a kernel, so I think I missed out on an additional ste= p, > writing an MBR or boot sector, perhaps. > > >> > > >> The files are all there if I mount them from a VM with FreeBSD.I > assume there is a way to make a mountable disk bootable. fdisk and gpart > are available but it's been a long time since I messed around with those. > > > > > > Let's start with the obvious: Can you post your disk layout? Mirrore= d > how? Gmirror/ZFS/Hardware raid/etc? MBR or Gpart? > > > > > > What commands have you tried thusfar? > > > > > > What does the boot so far look like (i.e. are you hitting the stage 0 > boot loader, and getting the loader prompt?) > > > > > > More info required, please, but this sounds very fixable. > > > > > > -Dan > > > > > -- > Paul Beard / www.paulbeard.org/ > > > --=20 Paul Beard / www.paulbeard.org/ --000000000000739d8a05e7a83bc2 Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"ltr">Thanks! That worked just fine but the mirrored/cloned disk= has issues. And with no way to get 11.x source, I think I have=C2=A0some d= ecisions=C2=A0to=C2=A0make about this system: upgrade and somehow move all = the services across or just quit pretending I understand=C2=A0any of this s= tuff.=C2=A0<br><div><br></div><div>Thanks again for the help=E2=80=A6</div>= </div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">= On Thu, Sep 1, 2022 at 5:52 PM Dan Mahoney <<a href=3D"mailto:freebsd@gu= shi.org">freebsd@gushi.org</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gma= il_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-le= ft-style:solid;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div st= yle=3D"word-wrap:break-word;line-break:after-white-space">I haven't use= d recoverdisk.=C2=A0 If you're going to mirror, use one of the other th= ings I mentioned. =C2=A0gmirror is low-impact and easy enough to use and su= pported by the various boot loaders.<div><br></div><div>If you're just = cloning disk to similar disk with rsync, you should not need to do this mor= e than once, unless maybe if you upgrade your system.=C2=A0 Normal freebsd-= update upgrades do not generally touch the boot blocks.=C2=A0 The best advi= ce I can give is "test this BEFORE you need it".=C2=A0 Rip your p= rimary drive out and see if you still boot.<br><div><br></div><div>For a li= ghtweight system, even zfs mirroring is okay, but it does use some ram for = caching and the like, so I wouldn't try it with a tiny embedded box.<br= ><div><br></div><div>-Dan</div><div><br><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div>On S= ep 1, 2022, at 17:47, paul beard <<a href=3D"mailto:paulbeard@gmail.com"= target=3D"_blank">paulbeard@gmail.com</a>> wrote:</div><br><div><div di= r=3D"ltr">yeah, I was pretty sure I was using the wrong tool=E2=80=A6thanks= for this. <br><br>So a further Q=E2=80=A6if I continue to use recoverdisk = from ports to mirror my boot disk to a copy, is it best practice to do this= on the mirror after the mirroring is completed? For all I know there is a = far better way to do that but this is a FreeBSD 11 system (!) that has just= been doing its thing for some years. So it worked (more or less) when it w= as set up. A backup you can't use isn't much use, as I have learned= (again, I expect). <br><br>On Thu, Sep 1, 2022 at 5:20 PM Dan Mahoney <= <a href=3D"mailto:freebsd@gushi.org" target=3D"_blank">freebsd@gushi.org</a= >> wrote:<br>><br>> Fdisk is for old-school partitions (where disk= s had only 1-4 primary partitions, and then subdivided those partitions int= o "slices" (bsdlabel).<br>><br>> I'm pretty sure the co= mmand you're looking for is:<br>><br>> gpart bootcode -b /boot/pm= br -p /boot/gptboot -i 1 ada1<br>><br>> In english, this says:<br>>= ;<br>> * Stick the "protective master boot record" on the root= of the disk (/boot/pmbr)<br>> * Write a partition boot label from the f= ile specified...<br>> * to this indexed partition (-i 1)<br>> * ...on= ada1<br>><br>> From there, you may need to tell the stage 0 loader w= here to find your next bootable partition on the next boot() prompt.<br>>= ;<br>> -Dan<br>><br>><br>> > On Sep 1, 2022, at 16:44, Dan M= ahoney <<a href=3D"mailto:freebsd@gushi.org" target=3D"_blank">freebsd@g= ushi.org</a>> wrote:<br>> ><br>> ><br>> ><br>> >= > On Sep 1, 2022, at 16:41, paul beard <<a href=3D"mailto:paulbeard@g= mail.com" target=3D"_blank">paulbeard@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>> >= ><br>> >> I have been mirroring the virtual disk in a FreeBSD v= m for a couple of years and the main disk got corrupted. The mirrored disk = doesn't boot, says it can't find a kernel, so I think I missed out = on an additional step, writing an MBR or boot sector, perhaps.<br>> >= ><br>> >> The files are all there if I mount them from a VM wit= h FreeBSD.I assume there is a way to make a mountable disk bootable. =C2=A0= fdisk and gpart are available but it's been a long time since I messed = around with those.<br>> ><br>> > Let's start with the obvio= us: Can you post your disk layout?=C2=A0 Mirrored how?=C2=A0 Gmirror/ZFS/Ha= rdware raid/etc?=C2=A0 MBR or Gpart?<br>> ><br>> > What command= s have you tried thusfar?<br>> ><br>> > What does the boot so f= ar look like (i.e. are you hitting the stage 0 boot loader, and getting the= loader prompt?)<br>> ><br>> > More info required, please, but = this sounds very fixable.<br>> ><br>> > -Dan<br>><br><br><br= >--<br>Paul Beard / <a href=3D"http://www.paulbeard.org/" target=3D"_blank"= >www.paulbeard.org/</a></div> </div></blockquote></div><br></div></div></div></blockquote></div><br clear= =3D"all"><div><br></div>-- <br><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_signature">P= aul Beard / <a href=3D"http://www.paulbeard.org/" target=3D"_blank">www.pau= lbeard.org/</a><br></div> --000000000000739d8a05e7a83bc2--
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