BTRFS and Arch; integration points

extofme · 2010-04-29 17:15:45

i've been on a btrfs rampage the last couple days, and i want to open discussion for ideas on how btrfs will fit into Arch. what useful Arch specific tools can we build to take advantage of the new FS and it's capabilities? we can build them now so the tools stabilize while btrfs gains more credibility.

a common one is rollback support. i have a (volatile) version available here:

http://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=33376

however, it's not the setup i'd like to see by default (i.e. setup by AIF [interactive] installer). i envision a default btrfs setup/structure something like:

.
├── home
│ ├── __active
│ ├── __rollback
│ ├── snap_11-11-1111_11-11-11
│ └── snap_22-22-2222_22-22-22
└── root
├── __active
├── __rollback
├── snap_11-11-1111_11-11-11
└── snap_22-22-2222_22-22-22

this is the "subroot" structure; underneath your / [root]. "." is the original default subvolume. /root/__active is your "primary" (default) system. /root/ __rollback is a volatile copy of a snap_XX (you boot into this [__rollback] when you "rollback"). since snap_XX gets copied to __rollback... if you decide you want to ditch your changes to __active (since it's messed up anyways), you just replace __active with __rollback (snapshot of a snapshot), reboot, and voilà! your system's __active subvolume works again, and none of your snapshots got messed with.

same logic for /home/__active and /home/__rollback (and snap_XX) except you wouldn't have to reboot... maybe we can create login manager ([xkg]dm) hooks to remount your home folder with a "rollback" on the next logout or something? who knows.

i guess i'm just calling out for general ideas about btrfs, useful integrations with Arch, how others are using it already, and maybe some feature ideas for the mkinitcpio-btrfs hook (or some input from admin about steps to inclusion into main).

"i did do the nasty in the pasty" -Fry

extofme · 2010-04-29 17:51:43

we could take a snapshot after install, called "__original" or something, then users would always have a copy of their system immediately after installation; they could revert/use/delete that if they wanted to at any time.

resi · 2010-05-07 23:59:14

We (well, not me) could teach pacman to create a snapshot before updating.

falconindy · 2010-05-08 00:30:11

resi wrote:

We (well, not me) could teach pacman to create a snapshot before updating.

This is the kind of thing that should be done via hooks, which has been sketched up by Allan.

fsckd · 2010-05-08 09:31:37

I hope this won't spoil my plans to have multiple distros use one filesystem.

ngoonee · 2010-05-09 10:13:59

fsckd wrote:

I hope this won't spoil my plans to have multiple distros use one filesystem.

You could just not use btrfs?

From what I've been reading on the MLs though, I don't think it'll be a big problem, but you'd need all the distros to be using the same conceptual layout.

I have a better idea though, just dump the other distros

fsckd · 2010-05-09 23:04:17

ngoonee wrote:

fsckd wrote:
I hope this won't spoil my plans to have multiple distros use one filesystem.
You could just not use btrfs?
From what I've been reading on the MLs though, I don't think it'll be a big problem, but you'd need all the distros to be using the same conceptual layout.
I have a better idea though, just dump the other distros

Heh, was tongue in cheek. Actually, my other install is for emergency purposes and t'would not be sane to share a fs.

Arch Linux

#1 2010-04-29 17:15:45

BTRFS and Arch; integration points

#2 2010-04-29 17:51:43

Re: BTRFS and Arch; integration points

#3 2010-05-07 23:59:14

Re: BTRFS and Arch; integration points

#4 2010-05-08 00:30:11

Re: BTRFS and Arch; integration points

#5 2010-05-08 09:31:37

Re: BTRFS and Arch; integration points

#6 2010-05-09 10:13:59

Re: BTRFS and Arch; integration points

#7 2010-05-09 23:04:17

Re: BTRFS and Arch; integration points

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