Clean install of 21.02 on ZFS filesystem not booting

svengru · Feb 20, 2021, 9:49 PM

Hi,

has anybody successfully done a clean install of 21.02 using ZFS as the file system? ZFS root does not mount during the boot.

I have no issue installing the prior version that way and no issue installing 21.02 using UFS on the exact same device.

@johnpoz I saw in a different discussion that you tried this as well. Any luck?

-Sven

svengru · Feb 22, 2021, 1:47 AM

Looks like this issue: https://redmine.pfsense.org/issues/11483

svengru · Feb 22, 2021, 1:47 AM

Found the fix.

The installer does not add zfs_load="YES" to /boot/loader.conf

Adding it manually after the installation will fix this issue.

johnpoz · Feb 22, 2021, 3:39 AM

Yeah I did run into this.. I was working with Steve who created that redmine..

I just did UFS, and was going to move to ZFS at later time. Your saying it just forget to set the Load - haha, that is pretty funny actually..

svengru · Feb 22, 2021, 4:56 AM

Yeah. I debugged the issue for over 1h before I finally read the error message again...

"Mounting from zfs:zroot/ROOT/default failed with error 2: unknown file system."

"unknown file system" was the clue and it only took a few minutes to fix after I realized what was going on.

johnpoz · Feb 22, 2021, 6:41 AM

Yeah I didn't really have time to even look at it.. As I kind of pulled the trigger on update at wrong time.. Figure what could it take a few minutes ;) before back up and running..

Had my config all copied to the usb, figured hey it would pretty much reboot and be up ;)

Then I ran into it not booting..Then started to get hey you doing anything with the internet yell from the wife.. So just had to do ufs, and was back up in a couple of minutes.

So if I wanted to say move to zfs tmrw morning before wife gets up.. Where exactly in the install process do need to make the change? And where exactly?

lnguyen · Feb 22, 2021, 8:22 AM

@svengru I have been beating my head against the wall for the last few hours trying to clean install pfSense+ 21.02 on a XG-1537. Will give this a try.

If I may ask, are you selecting ZFS (UEFI)?

svengru · Feb 22, 2021, 2:36 PM

I am running ZFS in UEFI.

To answer @johnpoz question:
Do a normal install using the USB stick and select ZFS. At the end of the process, it will ask if you want to make changes to the system installed. The fault answer is "NO". Select "YES" and you will get to the shell.

In the sell you can edit /boot/loader.conf using vi and add the line to it.
If vi is not a tool you like than the following should do the same:

echo 'zfs_load="YES"' >> /boot/loader.conf

SebM · Feb 28, 2021, 5:54 PM

@svengru said in Clean install of 21.02 on ZFS filesystem not booting:

I am running ZFS in UEFI.

To answer @johnpoz question:
Do a normal install using the USB stick and select ZFS. At the end of the process, it will ask if you want to make changes to the system installed. The fault answer is "NO". Select "YES" and you will get to the shell.

In the sell you can edit /boot/default.conf using vi and add the line to it.
If vi is not a tool you like than the following should do the same:

echo 'zfs_load="YES"' >> /boot/loader.conf

I confirm that running this command in the shell at the end of the installation worked well for me, and enabled me to perform a clean install of 21.02-p1 with ZFS on my SG-5100.

echo 'zfs_load="YES"' >> /boot/loader.conf