Arch Linux

STREBLO

Member

Registered: 2015-02-15

Posts: 135

[SOLVED] Regenerating the Kernel when using ZFS

I just finished an install on ZFS and I noticed it mentioned that if you want ZFS to be rebuilt when you install a new kernel, you should install the dkms package and enable the ZFS hook. I'm using the archzfs repository and have not installed the dkms package but I noticed when enabling the ZFS jook it works fine. Does this mean I do not need the DPMS package?

I did not see reference to it anywhere in the Installing Arch Linux on ZFS article. Is it already installed when I use the archzfs repository? Or was it just assumed I had it setup?

Last edited by STREBLO (2016-05-16 02:18:05)

ukhippo

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From: Non-paged pool

Registered: 2014-02-21

Posts: 366

Re: [SOLVED] Regenerating the Kernel when using ZFS

When a new stock ARCH kernel is released, demizer (archzfs repo owner) rebuilds the ZFS packages against the new kernel and then updates the repo. So if you use the archzfs repo, you don't have to rebuild anything. Note that demizer is based in west coast US, so there is usually a delay of a few hours before the rebuilt packages are available since the linux/linux-lts packages normally get released when west coast US is asleep.

If you don't use the stock ARCH kernels, or don't want the wait for demizer to update, you have to build the ZFS packages yourself or use DKMS and the DKMS ZFS packages the wiki page points you to. I'm assuming you didn't install those packages, so you are using demizer's prebuilt packages in the archzfs repo.

STREBLO

Member

Registered: 2015-02-15

Posts: 135

Re: [SOLVED] Regenerating the Kernel when using ZFS

Cool, so i just need to make sure not to update 'linux' by itself. Only with the archzfs repo. Is there any way to set 'linux' to only update from archzfs? Other than using IgnorePkg?

Ropid

Member

Registered: 2015-03-09

Posts: 1,069

Re: [SOLVED] Regenerating the Kernel when using ZFS

I think the way it works is that the zfs package depends on a certain 'linux' package version. When a new 'linux' version shows up before the zfs package is updated, you should see pacman complaining and showing a dependency error message. Pacman won't try to update 'linux' until that is resolved.

Take a look at the output of "pacman -Qi zfs-linux" and see what's mentioned in the "Depends On:" line.

ukhippo

Member

From: Non-paged pool

Registered: 2014-02-21

Posts: 366

Re: [SOLVED] Regenerating the Kernel when using ZFS

Ropid is correct.

The ZFS packages provide kernel modules, so once they've been rebuilt against the new kernel a pacman upgrade will succeed.

STREBLO

Member

Registered: 2015-02-15

Posts: 135

Re: [SOLVED] Regenerating the Kernel when using ZFS

Cool, thanks!