[Bug 246750] ZFS: Confusing error message when creating ZFS pool on vdev

[bugzilla-noreply at freebsd.org]

https://bugs.freebsd.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=246750

            Bug ID: 246750
           Summary: ZFS: Confusing error message when creating ZFS pool on
                    vdev
           Product: Base System
           Version: CURRENT
          Hardware: Any
                OS: Any
            Status: New
          Severity: Affects Only Me
          Priority: ---
         Component: kern
          Assignee: bugs at FreeBSD.org
          Reporter: kwiat3k at panic.pl

On default FreeBSD configuration (vfs.zfs.vol.recursive == 0) it's impossible
to create ZFS pools on vdevs. When users try to do this they see generic and
confusing error message:

```
# zfs create -V 1G -s zroot/kwiat
# zpool create -f kwiat /dev/zvol/zroot/kwiat
cannot create 'kwiat': no such pool or dataset
```

For someone not experienced in ZFS it will take some time to learn how to
workaround this as it seems it's not documented anywhere. What's more, on Linux
it just works.

My ideas how to improve this:

1) Better error message when vfs.zfs.vol.recursive==0 and backing device is
zvol.
Example: "cannot create 'kwiat': creating pool on zvol is dangerous. See man
zpool(8) for more info."

2) Document it in the zpool(8) manpage in "zpool create" section

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