Arch Linux

bjcubsfan

Member

From: Oklahoma City, OK, USA

Registered: 2012-05-04

Posts: 32

Website

Grub with ZFS root will not boot

I am trying to install Arch Linux with ZFS as the root file system. I have followed the instructions on the wiki, but I cannot get the system to boot after installation. I get a kernel panic like this:

:: running early hook [udev]
Starting version 243.162-2-arch
:: running hook [udev]
:: Triggering uevents...
:: running hook [zfs]
ZFS: Importing pool .
cannot import '': no such pool awailable
ERROR: ZFS: Unable to import pool .
[           35.652933] Kernel paific - not syncing: Attempted to kill init? exitcode=0x00000100
[           35.653005] Hardware name: Dell Inc. Precision 7920 Tower/060E5C, BIOS 2.0.4 05/16/2019
[           35.653040] Call Trace:
[           35.653062]  dump_stack+Ox66/0x90
[           35.653085]  panic+0x112/0x2e8
[           35.6531033  do_exit.cold+Ox76/0xd3
[           35.653122]  dogroup_exit+Ox33/0xa0
[           35.653141]  __x64_sys exit_group+Ox14/0x20
[           35.653164]  do syscali 64+0x4e/Ox110
[           35.653186]  entry_SYSCALL_64_afterilwframe+Ox44/0xa9
[           35.653211] RIP: 0033:0x7f9683983ce6
[           35.653232] Code: Bad RIP value.
[           35.653249] 11SP: 0021:00007ffd42910dcf8 EFLAGS: 00000202 OR I G RAX: 00000000000000e7
[           35.653283] RAX: ffffffffffffffdd RBX: 000055637bfe9704 RCX:-00007f9683983ce6
[           35.653315] RDX: 0000000000000001 113I: 000000000000003c RD I: 0000000000000001
[           35.653346] RBP: 0000000000000001 R08: 00000000000000e7 1109: ffffffffffffff80
[           35.653378] 1110: 000055637b3cd18d 1111: 0000000000000202 1112: 0000000000000002
[           35.653409] 1113: 0000000000000000 1114: 0000000000000000 1115: 0000000000000000
[           35.653523] Kernel Offset: 0x5800000 from Oxffifffff81000000 (relocation range: Oxffffifff80000000-Oxfffffiffbfffffrn
[           35.659000] ---[ end Kernel panic - not syncing: Attempted to kill init? exitcode=0x0000010 ]---

It looks like zfs does not have a name of a pool. I think the booting kernel from zfs section of the wiki might be relevant. The advice there does not seem quite right though. It seems to suggest editing the /boot/grub/grub.cfg file, but that
file explicitly says not to edit it. I tried hand editing it to look more like the examples, but I got a different kernel panic.

I uploaded everything I thought might be relevant in hopes that it will help.

idlepork

Member

From: Georgia

Registered: 2019-10-02

Posts: 10

Website

Re: Grub with ZFS root will not boot

I haven't worked with ZFS before, but the wiki appears to suggest an edit to your kernel command-line ("zfs=zroot"). You can add it temporarily in the grub menu on the linux line or edit /etc/default/grub on the GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT line (remaking /etc/grub/grub.cfg of course).

Or you could try putting your kernel in a /boot vfat partition at the beginning of your disk, if that's workable for you.

bjcubsfan

Member

From: Oklahoma City, OK, USA

Registered: 2012-05-04

Posts: 32

Website

Re: Grub with ZFS root will not boot

I added the correct "zfs=" line to /etc/default/grub, remade grub.cfg, rebooted, and that got me past where there is no kernel panic at least. However, I got kicked out to rootfs:

:: running early hook [udev]
Starting version 243.162-2-arch
:: running hook [udev]
Triggering uevents...
:: running hook [zfs]
ZFS: Importing pool bpool.
:: running late hook [zfs]
:: running cleanup hook [udev]
ERROR: Failed to mount the real root device.
Bailing out, you are on your own. Good luck.

sh : can't access tty ; job control turned off
[rootfs ]#

I looked at the zpool status. It has the pools, but does not show any of the components from the NVME device. It also doesn't have that in the devices. I am going to troubleshoot the NVME problem for a while.