5.3-Beta7 diskless boot: it boots but has empty /var (on /dev/md1) !?

[Ryan Sommers]

Rob wrote:

> However, on the diskless PC, /var is on a memory
> disk, but that directory is completely empty:
>
>   disklessPC# ls -a /var
>   .       ..      .snap
>
>   disklessPC# mount
>   192.168.123.254:/ on / (nfs, read-only)
>   devfs on /dev (devfs, local)
>   /dev/md0 on /etc (ufs, local, soft-updates)
>   procfs on /proc (procfs, local)
>   /dev/md1 on /var (ufs, local, soft-updates)
>   192.168.123.254:/usr on /usr (nfs, read-only)
>   192.168.123.254:/home on /home (nfs)
>   /dev/md2 on /tmp (ufs, local, soft-updates)
>
> This has serious consequences on the diskless PC.
> For example, sshd cannot start because /var/empty
> is not there. There is no information in /var/run,
> /var/log etc.
>
> Is something missing in the /etc/rc.d/initdiskless script,
> or have I forgotten something?
>
> Thanks,
> Rob.

The /var memory disk needs to be populated with a base structure. This 
is handled in initdiskless by templates (see 
/etc/rc.d/initdiskless:285). You can either have them as subdirectories 
in your /conf/ or as dir.cpio.gz cpio'gzip archives that are then extracted.

-- 
Ryan Sommers
ryans at gamersimpact.com