gmirror and partitioning

[Gayn Winters]

> From: owner-freebsd-questions at freebsd.org 
> [mailto:owner-freebsd-questions at freebsd.org] On Behalf Of User Gandalf
> Sent: Friday, May 12, 2006 7:26 AM
> To: freebsd-questions at freebsd.org
> Subject: gmirror and partitioning
> 
> 
> 
>   Hello!
> 
> I would like to install a new FreeBSD 6.1 system on a 
> computer that has 
> two SATA drives. They are the same type. I would like to use 
> gmirror. I 
> read the handbook here:
>
http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/geom-mirror.ht
ml

> But there is something I do not understand. The handbook suggest that
I 
> install FreeBSD on only two partitions: a swap and the root fs. But I 
> would like to create many partitions. I think I can do it the
following way:

   1. Install a basic system on drive /dev/ad0, using two smaller
      partitions (2GB for swap and 10GB for the root fs).
   2. Create the /dev/mirror/gm device on /dev/ad1, as suggested by the
      handbook
   3. When doing 'bsdlabel -wB /dev/mirror/gm0s1', I can allocate gm0s1a
      and gm0s1b with the same sizes (10GB and 2GB) but I can also add
      other partitions for /usr, /tmp and /var. Can I?
   4. Then I can copy the whole system from ad0s1a to
      /dev/mirror/gm0s1a, and continue the installation, following the
      instructions in the handbook
   5. Finally, after I added /dev/ad0 to /dev/gm0 and I'm done with
      synchronization, I would like to format the additional partitions,
      dump and restore my current /usr, /tmp and /var directories,
      change my fstab and reboot...


> Will this work? Sorry for the dumb question, but I have never done
this 
> before. The handbook only suggest that I install FreeBSD on one / 
> partition only, but it does not tell how to create new partitions
after 
> mirroring.

> Thanks,

>   Laszlo

Laszlo,

You're making gmirror way too difficult.  In short, install FreeBSD with
however many partitions you want, then install gmirror and replicate
your disk to the second disk.

The standard howto documents are:

http://dannyman.toldme.com/2005/01/24/freebsd-howto-gmirror-system/

http://www.onlamp.com/pub/a/bsd/2005/11/10/FreeBSD_Basics.html

http://people.freebsd.org/~rse/mirror/

I've used Danny's and Ralf's (the first and third).  Danny's is simpler,
but Ralf's has the advantage that it can be done remotely.  Danny's
website now recommends Dru's (the second).  You may want to try that
first.

Let us know how it goes,

-gayn

Bristol Systems Inc.
714/532-6776
www.bristolsystems.com