ZFS on root, serial console install

[Peter C. Lai]

I did a pxeboot zfs-root install the other day.

If you copy the dvd to an nfs export as the root mount, hack the requisite
files to do serial console then you will drop to a login prompt when it
boots over pxe-tftp. Had no problems setting up zfs root install by
skipping sysinstall and fixit entirely: setup your ZFS root, then set
DESTDIR and use install.sh in the individual package dirs.


http://wiki.freebsd.org/RootOnZFS/GPTZFSBoot/RAIDZ2

> On Fri, Feb 12, 2010 at 7:27 AM, Charles Sprickman <spork at bway.net> wrote:
>> Any hints on that one?
>>
>> I finally got around to getting dhcp/tftp/nfs setup on an internal
>> network
>> to perform normal installs (and with some pxelinux hackery, the ability
>> to
>> boot a DOS disk or memtest86 disk images).
>>
>> Sysinstall in general is kind of an unweildy beast over serial, but one
>> thing I was not able to accomplish was to get a shell (no extra virtual
>> consoles on serial) or attempt any mounting of fixit media.  From my
>> last
>> install that put ZFS on root, I had to do quite a bit of tapdancing
>> since I
>> had no DVD or bootable USB media - lots of switching from the install
>> disk
>> to fixit, which brought me to many chicken and egg moments.  I did it
>> though...
>>
>> But remotely, I'm not seeing a good way to do this.  If mfsroot were
>> larger
>> and had more tools, then I'd be in business.  This is probably the
>> direction
>> I need to get shoved in.
>>
>> I've looked at some other options with pxelinux and perhaps booting the
>> mini
>> ISO, but I'm not sure that gets me anywhere.
>>
>> Any tips?  This isn't a make or break situation, I live 15 minutes from
>> the
>> colo...  It's more of a quest. :)
>>
>
> I would installl a small UFS FBSD system of 1 or 2 Gig on say ad0s1.
> That gives you more then the equivalent of a fixit CD. You then use
> this mini system as base to install the "real one" on the other
> slice(s)
>
> After having finished the install, you use fdisk to change the active
> slice to the new install and reboot.
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-- 
Peter C. Lai
ITS Systems Administrator
Bard College at Simon's Rock
84 Alford Rd.
Great Barrington, MA 01230
(413) 528-7428
peter at simons-rock.edu