Arch Linux

jck

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2009-05-08

Posts: 98

Fresh Install with btrfs [tutorial]

This caused me a minor inconvenience, so i thought i would help someone else with the info...

How to do a fresh install with btrfs.

1) on the arch live cd, set up the network and install btrfs-progs-unstable
2)start the arch install
3)while partitioning create a seperate boot partition
4)for all the partitions which you want to be in btrfs, create ext4 partitions ( we will convert them)
5)install the packages
6)when the installer asks you to configure the system, go to mkinitcpio.conf and add crc32c to the modules array, edit fstab and replace ext4 with btrfs
7)exit the installer and do not reboot.
8)unmount the partitions which you have installed ext4 on (if you are not able to do so reboot into the live cd)
9)run btrfs-convert on said partitions (example btrfs-convert /dev/sda1)
10)You are now on butter, you should be able to reboot into your install with no problems

Last edited by jck (2010-06-18 00:54:28)

falconindy

Developer

From: New York, USA

Registered: 2009-10-22

Posts: 4,111

Website

Re: Fresh Install with btrfs [tutorial]

No need to convert. Skip AIF entirely.

- partition the drives, format btrfs where desired
- mount the new root on /mnt with any other partitions
- pacman -r /mnt -S base{,-devel}
- configure necessary files
- install grub
- reboot

edit: I'd say this kind of thing belongs in the Wiki, but I'm not really sure where it might go. It's merely a specific example of a general case of what to do when AIF isn't flexible enough to fit your needs.

Last edited by falconindy (2010-06-18 00:30:27)

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jck

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2009-05-08

Posts: 98

Re: Fresh Install with btrfs [tutorial]

AIF really makes it simple though, for example fstab and grub config...

extofme

Member

From: here + now

Registered: 2009-10-10

Posts: 174

Website

Re: Fresh Install with btrfs [tutorial]

you can let AIF do everything.  just manually mount the btrfs subvolume to the proper place ahead of time; the installer will fail while setting up the mounts but it doesn't matter.

for flexibility, you should install your system INTO A DEDICATED SUBVOLUME, and use:

rootflags=subvol=<whatever you called the subvol>

on your kernel boot line/menu.lst. see the mkinitcpio-btrfs thread for details why... it's what makes system rollbacks possible.

what we need is not a place to put the workaround, but help patching AIF to support btrfs install.  i have been asked to submit the mkinitcpio-btrfs hook for inclusion, but i'm not sure i'll have time to code btrfs support in AIF... we need help there.

C Anthony

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demian

Member

From: Frankfurt, Germany

Registered: 2009-05-06

Posts: 709

Re: Fresh Install with btrfs [tutorial]

I used archboot by tpowa to install. It already comes with all the necessary tools, you can choose btrfs in the installer (iirc) and it places the right hooks in mkinitcpio.conf (again, iirc).
It was a total breeze.

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brendan

Member

From: UK

Registered: 2009-05-16

Posts: 130

Website

Re: Fresh Install with btrfs [tutorial]

I used archboot by tpowa to install. It already comes with all the necessary tools, you can choose btrfs in the installer (iirc) and it places the right hooks in mkinitcpio.conf (again, iirc).
It was a total breeze.

I'm trying to use this, but the arch setup tool in archboot 2010.05-1 by tpowa doesn't seem to provide the selection of / as btrfs.

Last edited by brendan (2010-07-11 14:32:58)

tpowa

Developer

From: Lauingen , Germany

Registered: 2004-04-05

Posts: 2,328

Re: Fresh Install with btrfs [tutorial]

This will come on next release, i'm already at the end stage of programming, new iso will appear very soon now.

tpowa

Developer

From: Lauingen , Germany

Registered: 2004-04-05

Posts: 2,328

Re: Fresh Install with btrfs [tutorial]

New archboot isos released with full btrfs support

longint

Member

Registered: 2011-06-15

Posts: 28

Re: Fresh Install with btrfs [tutorial]

Doing a quick check it seems the install iso/usb does not support btrfs yet? So I'll have to use ext4 for now and then convert? What about compression and space_cache for btrfs, can I add this later/while converting?

TiA

longint

Member

Registered: 2011-06-15

Posts: 28

Re: Fresh Install with btrfs [tutorial]

I managed to use achboot to install a fresh system just to realize that a compressed root btrfs is not bootable. This should be tracked in future releases (of archboot and the core installer). Right now I'm in the process of doing another installation witjh seperate boot partition...