Consistency of pkg db on UFS

[techyNotes]

Hi Ali

I had a similar problem with my HP Elitebook couple of days ago with UFS option. I had been experimenting with various modes and setup options including the file system ZFS and UFS. I would have installed and reinstalled Freebsd 12.2 more than 20 times! 

I guess the issue lies in the Installation process. Just before the final step of rebooting it takes sometime (more than when installing with ZFS option) to complete the installation closure tasks. This was not completed or you did not wait until the point the message popped up to reboot the system!

To verify if this is the case, check your loader.conf and/or rc.conf it would be empty. The options you selected during the install process would not be recorded in these files.

SOLUTION: I just reinstalled again with the option of UFS and waited on the last before step patiently and then finally rebooted upon the alter message of REBOOT option from the installer.

BTW, I have noticed, if you go back on installer steps on any options already selected and try to reconfigure or change, then something goes upside down in my experience so far:- 
1.You can check - try changing more than 2 times on the wireless Region Code ->Result: after the reboot, wpa_supplicant.conf may be messed up.
2.You can check - try changing the Boot parameters / System Hardening in the last before step of the installer, the options you had already selected during the install process may not be shown and would show unselected for all available options. Something, maybe messed up post install.

The above-mentioned is only my experience so far. However, the installer is very stable if you have a straight through selection in one go and wait until you get the REBOOT Alert.

Best regards,
Sny

> On 11 Dec 2020, at 17:57, Ali Abdallah via freebsd-stable <freebsd-stable at freebsd.org> wrote:
> 
> Hello,
> 
> I've came across the following issues on a freshly installed system with
> a UFS SU+j root partition.
> 
> # pkg install -y some_package
> The package management tool is not yet installed on your system.
> Do you want to fetch and install it now? [y/N]: y
> # kldload SOME_MODULE
> -> crash happens here (due to drm for example)
> 
> On next boot any attempt to use pkg results in the following message:
> 
> # pkg install nano
> The package management tool is not yet installed on your system.
> Do you want to fetch and install it now? [y/N]: y
> Bootstrapping pkg from
> pkg+http://pkg.FreeBSD.org/FreeBSD:12:amd64/quarterly, please wait...
> Verifying signature with trusted certificate
> pkg.freebsd.org.2013102301... done
> Installing pkg-1.15.10...
> the most recent version of pkg-1.15.10 is already installed
> 
> It seems that /var/db/pkg/local.sqlite contains entry for the installed
> packages, but those packages didn't make it to the filesystem.
> 
> Is this because the db is fsynced while the actual package data is not?
> 
> The issue is very easy to reproduce (on a VM for instance).
> (I was not able to reproduce on a ZFS root filesystem).
> 
> Regards,
> Ali
> 
> _______________________________________________
> freebsd-stable at freebsd.org mailing list
> https://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-stable
> To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-stable-unsubscribe at freebsd.org"