installing on ZFS from live cd

doc1623 · 2013-08-08 22:09:20

I'm an Arch noob. I've already got Freebsd on ZFS installed on one partition. I would like to install Arch on ZFS on the other. I got stuck early, using https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/In … nux_on_ZFS. If I try to create a custom iso by installing archiso, I get

:: Proceed with installation? [Y/n] Y
(7/7) checking keys in keyring                     [######################] 100%
(7/7) checking package integrity                   [######################] 100%
(7/7) loading package files                        [######################] 100%
(7/7) checking for file conflicts                  [######################] 100%
error: failed to commit transaction (conflicting files)
archiso: /usr/lib/initcpio/archiso_shutdown exists in filesystem
archiso: /usr/lib/initcpio/hooks/archiso exists in filesystem
archiso: /usr/lib/initcpio/hooks/archiso_loop_mnt exists in filesystem
archiso: /usr/lib/initcpio/hooks/archiso_pxe_common exists in filesystem
archiso: /usr/lib/initcpio/hooks/archiso_pxe_http exists in filesystem
archiso: /usr/lib/initcpio/hooks/archiso_pxe_nbd exists in filesystem
archiso: /usr/lib/initcpio/hooks/archiso_pxe_nfs exists in filesystem
archiso: /usr/lib/initcpio/hooks/archiso_shutdown exists in filesystem
archiso: /usr/lib/initcpio/install/archiso exists in filesystem
archiso: /usr/lib/initcpio/install/archiso_kms exists in filesystem
archiso: /usr/lib/initcpio/install/archiso_loop_mnt exists in filesystem
archiso: /usr/lib/initcpio/install/archiso_pxe_common exists in filesystem
archiso: /usr/lib/initcpio/install/archiso_pxe_http exists in filesystem
archiso: /usr/lib/initcpio/install/archiso_pxe_nbd exists in filesystem
archiso: /usr/lib/initcpio/install/archiso_pxe_nfs exists in filesystem
archiso: /usr/lib/initcpio/install/archiso_shutdown exists in filesystem
Errors occurred, no packages were upgraded.

Ok then, I try just to move forward with the live cd

1 root@archiso /mnt/nas/images/arch # pacman -S archzfs                      :(
:: There are 4 members in group archzfs:
:: Repository demz-repo-archiso
   1) spl  2) spl-utils  3) zfs  4) zfs-utils

Enter a selection (default=all): 
resolving dependencies...
warning: cannot resolve "linux=3.9.8-1", a dependency of "spl-utils"
warning: cannot resolve "spl-utils=0.6.1_3.9.8-1", a dependency of "spl"
warning: cannot resolve "linux=3.9.8-1", a dependency of "spl"
warning: cannot resolve "linux=3.9.8-1", a dependency of "spl-utils"
warning: cannot resolve "linux=3.9.8-1", a dependency of "spl-utils"
warning: cannot resolve "spl-utils=0.6.1_3.9.8-1", a dependency of "spl"
warning: cannot resolve "linux=3.9.8-1", a dependency of "spl"
warning: cannot resolve "spl=0.6.1_3.9.8-1", a dependency of "zfs"
warning: cannot resolve "linux=3.9.8-1", a dependency of "spl-utils"
warning: cannot resolve "spl-utils=0.6.1_3.9.8-1", a dependency of "spl"
warning: cannot resolve "linux=3.9.8-1", a dependency of "spl"
warning: cannot resolve "spl=0.6.1_3.9.8-1", a dependency of "zfs-utils"
warning: cannot resolve "linux=3.9.8-1", a dependency of "zfs-utils"
warning: cannot resolve "zfs-utils=0.6.1_3.9.8-1", a dependency of "zfs"
warning: cannot resolve "linux=3.9.8-1", a dependency of "zfs"
warning: cannot resolve "linux=3.9.8-1", a dependency of "spl-utils"
warning: cannot resolve "spl-utils=0.6.1_3.9.8-1", a dependency of "spl"
warning: cannot resolve "linux=3.9.8-1", a dependency of "spl"
warning: cannot resolve "spl=0.6.1_3.9.8-1", a dependency of "zfs-utils"
warning: cannot resolve "linux=3.9.8-1", a dependency of "zfs-utils"
:: The following packages cannot be upgraded due to unresolvable dependencies:
      spl  spl-utils  zfs  zfs-utils

:: Do you want to skip the above packages for this upgrade? [y/N] N
error: failed to prepare transaction (could not satisfy dependencies)
:: spl-utils: requires linux=3.9.8-1
:: spl: requires spl-utils=0.6.1_3.9.8-1
:: spl: requires linux=3.9.8-1
:: spl-utils: requires linux=3.9.8-1
:: spl-utils: requires linux=3.9.8-1
:: spl: requires spl-utils=0.6.1_3.9.8-1
:: spl: requires linux=3.9.8-1
:: zfs: requires spl=0.6.1_3.9.8-1
:: spl-utils: requires linux=3.9.8-1
:: spl: requires spl-utils=0.6.1_3.9.8-1
:: spl: requires linux=3.9.8-1
:: zfs-utils: requires spl=0.6.1_3.9.8-1
:: zfs-utils: requires linux=3.9.8-1
:: zfs: requires zfs-utils=0.6.1_3.9.8-1
:: zfs: requires linux=3.9.8-1
:: spl-utils: requires linux=3.9.8-1
:: spl: requires spl-utils=0.6.1_3.9.8-1
:: spl: requires linux=3.9.8-1
:: zfs-utils: requires spl=0.6.1_3.9.8-1
:: zfs-utils: requires linux=3.9.8-1
1 root@archiso /mnt/nas/images/arch # uname -a                               :(
Linux archiso 3.10.3-1-ARCH #1 SMP PREEMPT Fri Jul 26 11:26:59 CEST 2013 x86_64 GNU/Linux

Arch has the best documentation of any distro but I must not be stumbling on the right page. It looks like other tools to create iso's have kernel issue https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Building_a_Live_CD

Any help appreciated.

Last edited by doc1623 (2013-08-08 22:50:15)

WonderWoofy · 2013-08-08 23:02:50

The zfs packages from demizerone's repo contain 3rd party kernel modules (that is, modules not provided by the kernel itself). So these are built against a certain kernel version. If your kernel version does not match that of the version the modules are intended for... they won't work (even if you could install them).

An alternative would be to use the zfs, zfs-utils, spl, and spl-utils build sources from the AUR so that you can build them against whatever version you happen to have on the archiso. They depend on each other in a certain way, so you will have to build and install them in a certain order.

FWIW, if you are new to Arch, might I suggest that you try using Arch on a normal Linux filesystem first? Using a system in which the root filesystem's functionality is dependent on modules not included in the kernel is just asking for trouble at this stage in your usage. Fortunately, demizerone's repo can make things a bit easier, and as a user of zfs himself, he does a pretty good job updating them. But they are not always updated exactly when the kernel is updated, so you are likely to run into instances in which the repo doesn't match. In fact, you seem to be finding currently that his archiso repo is not properly updated.

ZFS is really nice and has some amazing features. But if you want somethign similar, you should try btrfs. It is a filesystem that is compatible with the vanilla Linux kernel, and features CoW, snapshotting (cloning), multi-device pools, build in raid, and other things that will be familiar to a ZFS user. It is not as mature, but I find that it is pretty stable these days, even if it throws a big ass "experimental" warning on just about everything. Btrfs does not have all the features that ZFS has, but it is relatively close, and certainyl satisfies my needs.

doc1623 · 2013-08-08 23:34:42

Thanks WonderWoofy

I may try to use the AUR sources.

I'm not new to linux, although being only a few years in, it still feels like it. I've tried many distro's and I'm looking forward to Arch. It seems it has a similiar ports structure to Freebsd and very configurable as well. From everything I've read Btrfs is just not quite as stable or proven as ZFS. ZFS also seems fairly easy to use (I'm new to it as well). It would be nice to have the consitancy, at this point, while I'm still learning to manage ZFS on Freebsd anyway.

graysky · 2013-08-08 23:39:23

Could you just install to a temp ext4 partition on an external drive or the like, create the ZFS partition and just rsync it over, rebuilt images by chroot and call it good?

WonderWoofy · 2013-08-08 23:44:07

graysky wrote:

Could you just install to a temp ext4 partition on an external drive or the like, create the ZFS partition and just rsync it over, rebuilt images by chroot and call it good?

Yeah, this would work I think.

Arch Linux

#1 2013-08-08 22:09:20

installing on ZFS from live cd

#2 2013-08-08 23:02:50

Re: installing on ZFS from live cd

#3 2013-08-08 23:34:42

Re: installing on ZFS from live cd

#4 2013-08-08 23:39:23

Re: installing on ZFS from live cd

#5 2013-08-08 23:44:07

Re: installing on ZFS from live cd

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