FreeBSD 11.0-RELEASE-p7 i386 system drive imaging and migration

[David Christensen]

On 01/29/17 21:34, Warren Block wrote:
> On Sun, 29 Jan 2017, David Christensen wrote:
>
>> As I understand it, taking an image involves:
>>
>> 1.  Back up the MBR (dd?).
>
> gpart backup ada0
>
>> 2.  Back up the slice 1 partition table (?).
>
> gpart backup ada0s1
>
>> 3.  Back up bootpool file system ('zfs send').
>>
>> 4.  Back up the swap partition encryption container header (?).
>
> geli.  Easier to just initialize the receiving disk with geli and enter
> the same key.
>
>> 5.  Back up the zroot partition encryption container header (?).
>
> As above.
>
>> 6.  Back up zroot file system ('zfs send').
>>
>>
>> Restoring an image involves:
>>
>> 1.  Restore MBR ('dd').
>
> gpart restore ada0
>
>> 2.  Restore slice 1 partition table (?).
>
> gpart restore ada0s1
>
>
> Create encryption, if truly desired, with geli(8).
>
>> 3.  Create bootpool ZFS pool and file system (?).
>
> zpool create
>
>> 4.  Restore bootpool file system ('zfs receive').
>
>> 10. Create zroot ZFS pool and file system (?).
>
> zpool create

Okay -- thanks for the pointers.

>
>> 12. Restore zroot file system ('zfs receive').
>>
>> These processes are complex enough to warrant automation.  Can
>> Clonezilla handle FreeBSD 11.0 with MBR and encrypted ZFS root?
>
> Clonezilla can handle UFS, last I checked.  ZFS, no, and encryption just
> appears as binary data to anything that lacks geli(8).

Yes, that's how I read their web page.


>> 1.  Putting the original system drive into another computer broke Xfce
>> applications.
>
> Something to do with missing semi-important filesystems, maybe.  Or the
> age of a Pentium D, although that still ought to be supported.  Maybe
> options were selected to optimize for that CPU that are not good in a
> newer one.

I tested the original drive in a Dell Inspiron E1505 laptop with an 
Intel 945 GM chipset, Core 2 Duo T7400 processor, and 2 GB RAM. 
Currently, the cloned SSD is in it.


>> 2.  Everything works as before when the original system drive is put
>> back into original computer (I am typing this message on that system).
>>
>> 3.  The cloned drive works and has passed Intel SSD Toolbox checks.
>>
>> 4.  Putting the cloned drive into the original computer broke Xfce
>> applications in exactly the same way.
>>
>>
>> I doubt it's an SSD hardware problem.
>
> Writing SSDs with dd is not good, limiting their wear leveling.

That's why I used zcat rather than dd for writing to the cloned SSD. 
If/when I know enough to use zfs send/ receive, that will be best.


David