Arch Linux

vonflynee

Member

From: Poland

Registered: 2014-12-12

Posts: 14

Website

OVH - RAID1 - System won't boot

I've got OVH server with 2x2TB HDDs.
I've installed ArchLinux via OVH's automatic installer, with RAID1:

$ sudo mdadm --misc --detail /dev/md2
/dev/md2:
        Version : 0.90
  Creation Time : Fri Nov 25 21:49:30 2016
     Raid Level : raid1
     Array Size : 40958912 (39.06 GiB 41.94 GB)
  Used Dev Size : 40958912 (39.06 GiB 41.94 GB)
   Raid Devices : 2
  Total Devices : 2
Preferred Minor : 2
    Persistence : Superblock is persistent

    Update Time : Mon Feb 20 08:22:42 2017
          State : clean
 Active Devices : 2
Working Devices : 2
 Failed Devices : 0
  Spare Devices : 0

           UUID : 2a175e29:7a09ddc7:a4d2adc2:26fd5302
         Events : 0.24

    Number   Major   Minor   RaidDevice State
       0       8        2        0      active sync   /dev/sda2
       1       8       18        1      active sync   /dev/sdb2

$ sudo mdadm --misc --detail /dev/md4
/dev/md4:
        Version : 0.90
  Creation Time : Fri Nov 25 21:49:30 2016
     Raid Level : raid1
     Array Size : 1908453312 (1820.04 GiB 1954.26 GB)
  Used Dev Size : 1908453312 (1820.04 GiB 1954.26 GB)
   Raid Devices : 2
  Total Devices : 2
Preferred Minor : 4
    Persistence : Superblock is persistent

  Intent Bitmap : Internal

    Update Time : Mon Feb 20 08:23:42 2017
          State : clean
 Active Devices : 2
Working Devices : 2
 Failed Devices : 0
  Spare Devices : 0

           UUID : c14eba0d:57f5ac68:a4d2adc2:26fd5302
         Events : 0.6

    Number   Major   Minor   RaidDevice State
       0       8        4        0      active sync   /dev/sda4
       1       8       20        1      active sync   /dev/sdb4

The server was using OVH's kernel 4.9.8 but unfortunately it lacks support of loading modules

$ uname -a
Linux wtc 4.9.8-xxxx-std-ipv6-64 #1 SMP Mon Feb 6 14:24:20 CET 2017 x86_64 GNU/Linux

After installing official ArchLinux kernel with

$ pacman -S linux

modifying

/etc/mkinitcpio.conf

HOOKS="base udev mdadm_udev lvm2 autodetect modconf block filesystems keyboard fsck"
MODULES="dm_mod"

and

/boot/grub/grub.cfg

menuentry "Arch Linux" {
        insmod part_gpt
        insmod part_gpt
        insmod diskfilter
        insmod mdraid09
        insmod ext2
        set root='mduuid/2a175e297a09ddc7a4d2adc226fd5302'
        if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
          search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint='mduuid/2a175e297a09ddc7a4d2adc226fd5302'  26629b0f-51ea-46bc-aed6-4a7f22d74532
        else
          search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 26629b0f-51ea-46bc-aed6-4a7f22d74532
        fi
        linux   /boot/vmlinuz-linux root=/dev/md2 rw  quiet
}

the system won't boot. Journalctl isn't recording any logs from boot.
How can I make it boot the official kernel?

Slithery

Administrator

From: Norfolk, UK

Registered: 2013-12-01

Posts: 5,776

Re: OVH - RAID1 - System won't boot

Is this relevant?

https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=214512

---

No, it didn't "fix" anything. It just shifted the brokeness one space to the right. - jasonwryan
Closing -- for deletion; Banning -- for muppetry. - jasonwryan

aur - dotfiles

olegabrielz

Member

From: Norway

Registered: 2015-12-23

Posts: 255

Re: OVH - RAID1 - System won't boot

I just did a google search and found this:
https://www.ovh.co.uk/dedicated_servers … hlinux.xml
There the kernel in use is the linux-lts. I know nothing of this subject. But I thought it was worth mentioned.

---

Be aware of my Newbie Powers

vonflynee

Member

From: Poland

Registered: 2014-12-12

Posts: 14

Website

Re: OVH - RAID1 - System won't boot

I don't want to use anything from OVH - just the official Archlinux kernel.

Is this relevant?

https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=214512

Unfortunately, no. OVH distributes many of the kernels for ArchLinux - but I want only the stock and clean kernel from ArchLinux.

Last edited by vonflynee (2017-02-20 12:41:20)

frostschutz

Member

Registered: 2013-11-15

Posts: 1,417

Re: OVH - RAID1 - System won't boot

I've installed ArchLinux via OVH's automatic installer, with RAID1:

Just boot a rescue system, wipe everything & then install ArchLinux yourself from scratch, not using any installers/images provided by your hoster.

It's more work but you get a clean system. You ended up with an odd kernel and archaic raid metadata format (0.90 should no longer be used, go with 1.2, or perhaps 1.0 if it's /boot).

Either that or cross fingers and fully embrace whatever customizations your hoster provides (which means, not replacing the kernel, and talk to the hoster if there's a problem with that).

Last edited by frostschutz (2017-02-20 12:54:01)

vonflynee

Member

From: Poland

Registered: 2014-12-12

Posts: 14

Website

Re: OVH - RAID1 - System won't boot

I cannot do this because I've got around 600 gigs of important files on it...

Slithery

Administrator

From: Norfolk, UK

Registered: 2013-12-01

Posts: 5,776

Re: OVH - RAID1 - System won't boot

Just reinstall from scratch and then restore all of your important files from your most recent backup.

---

No, it didn't "fix" anything. It just shifted the brokeness one space to the right. - jasonwryan
Closing -- for deletion; Banning -- for muppetry. - jasonwryan

aur - dotfiles

vonflynee

Member

From: Poland

Registered: 2014-12-12

Posts: 14

Website

Re: OVH - RAID1 - System won't boot

I've reinstalled the system from scratch but the problem still exists. I cannot boot the system. I've used IPMI provided by OVH to connect to the server but the console mode stucked on boot options and I can't pick any of them. The Java (graphical) mode shows black screen.