Name/label/id metadata: how do I make it go away

[Warren Block]

On Mon, 21 Sep 2015, Chris Stankevitz wrote:

> For those wanting to teach me to fish:
>
> In the context of naming a disk that has no partitions, can you explain to me 
> the difference among these terms:
> - gpt label

A manually-assigned label in the GPT metadata.  Requires GPT 
partitioning.

> - gpt id

A system-assigned ID in the GPT metadata.  Requires GPT partitioning.

> - glabel

A pgoram that can manually assigns labels to arbitrary devices.  The 
last block of the device is used for metadata, so the created device is 
one block smaller than the raw device.  See glabel(8).

> - gpart

FreeBSD's versatile disk partitioning program.  See gpart(8).

> - /dev/diskid/*
> - disk_ident

A GUID assigned to the disk?  I forget.

> - geom

FreeBSD's GEOM system that allows adding filters or functions to bare 
disk devices, or the program to manipulate it.  See geom(4) and geom(8).

> - bsdlabel

Both an obsolete disk partitioning format and the program to create it. 
Invented before MBR, then usually used in an awful combination with MBR 
to make up for MBR's weaknesses.  See bsdlabel(8).  gpart(8) can create 
these and other formats, but most of the time GPT is the most powerful 
and easiest to use.

> For those wanting to give me a fish:
>
> I have a zfs pool of "entire disks".  "zpool status" shows some disks with 
> their daX name (which I prefer) and some with a hideously ugly name such as 
> DISK-%20%20%20%20%20-WD-WMC4NOH1ASDF

Disable those labels with kern.geom.label.gptid.enable="0" in 
/boot/loader.conf.