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HEADLINE: First class ZFS install support on Live CD. DESCRIPTION: The license conflict between the open source ZFS and open source Linux kernel mean ZFS needs

HEADLINE: First class ZFS install support on Live CD. DESCRIPTION: The license conflict between the open source ZFS and open source Linux kernel mean ZFS needs to be in contrib. Unlike a lot of other packages in contrib, ZFS doesn't rely on any non-free software. It just can't be in Debian main because of the conflict of licenses. However, it would be nice if there was a way to have a more official path to ZFS on root for Debian. The current instructions require a fairly high number of steps in the ZFS On Linux wiki. The ZFS On Linux wiki also lists a new initramfs file that has to be included so ZFS is supported. It seems odd that Debian couldn't include that as part of initramfs. I realize Debian doesn't want to necessarily promote non-free software, but this is free software that just conflicts with the GPL. It doesn't seem like it should be a second class citizen where you have to manually include files that should already be part of the package. By the nature of the license conflict, it will be a second class citizen in that it can't be part of the normal installation package and you'll have to compile on the fly. However, it would be nice if there was a mode in the Live CD that could handle ZFS installation rather than doing it all manually. DISTRIBUTION: currently mixture of testing/unstable but I'd like to use day(s) old sid (see other post).

luca_ing 9y ago
Absolutely seconded. Decent support for ZFS in general, especially during installation already. Ideally, ZFS root filesystem support (snapshot before upgrade, yay!). I've been using ZFS for six(?) years now, on both Debian and Ubuntu, and while ZFS root is so important to me that I'm willing to jump through the necessary hoops to install it, it's kinda grating and perhaps riskier. And not for the faint of heart.
lscotte 9y ago
Thirded! I've been building out all my Debian boxes with ZFS root (and everywhere) for a year or more. Not only does this require installing via debootstrap, but there are some subtle things that have to be done just so or the system won't boot. Stretch improves this over Jessie, but it's still clearly not a first order citizen. Like with non-free firmware, and other such things, I get the licensing and taint issues, but it would be good to see this evolve and be supported in the installer, someday, if only on a "forked" installer like with non-free firmware.
jasonwc17 9y ago
I would really like to see ZFS make it into the regular install image. Debian already releases an install image with non-free firmware and ZFS is free software. It just has an incompatible license. The specific issue you mention about creating the initramfs file is actually not necessary in Stretch since this file already exists. There have been other, more significant changes in Stretch as well. (Note: I've contributed to the Debian Jessie ZFS on Root Howto and have followed this guide for numerous systems on both Jessie and Stretch). 1) ZFS has made it into Debian Stretch, so it is no longer necessary to add the backports repository. You just need contrib. 2) The grub-pc package in Stretch provides ZFS support. In contrast, Jessie required installing the package from Testing, and this could cause issues with prior versions of the Howto, as it would often pull Grub's dependencies from Testing as well, blocking installation of among other things, Gnome. The Howto now ensures that dependencies are satisfied from Stable. 3) Since ZFS and grub-pc can be installed from Stable, there's no need to add the /etc/apt/preferences file for pinning priority.
ryao 9y ago
I promised a few people that I would do a fresh ZFS port to FUSE that could be merged into ZoL HEAD. While life has delayed that, I hope to make it a reality this year. It was intended to be a development aid, but I know that there are some internal politics in a few distributions about shipping out of tree kernel modules on install media. I am told that a FUSE port will alleviate the internal politics. I imagine Debian et al integration would improve once that is a reality. Conceptually, it should allow for users to make an easy switch to the kernel modules once the system is installed. Keep your eyes open for that later this year.

luca_ing 9y ago

Absolutely seconded. Decent support for ZFS in general, especially during installation already. Ideally, ZFS root filesystem support (snapshot before upgrade, yay!). I've been using ZFS for six(?) years now, on both Debian and Ubuntu, and while ZFS root is so important to me that I'm willing to jump through the necessary hoops to install it, it's kinda grating and perhaps riskier. And not for the faint of heart.

lscotte 9y ago

Thirded! I've been building out all my Debian boxes with ZFS root (and everywhere) for a year or more. Not only does this require installing via debootstrap, but there are some subtle things that have to be done just so or the system won't boot. Stretch improves this over Jessie, but it's still clearly not a first order citizen. Like with non-free firmware, and other such things, I get the licensing and taint issues, but it would be good to see this evolve and be supported in the installer, someday, if only on a "forked" installer like with non-free firmware.

jasonwc17 9y ago

I would really like to see ZFS make it into the regular install image. Debian already releases an install image with non-free firmware and ZFS is free software. It just has an incompatible license. The specific issue you mention about creating the initramfs file is actually not necessary in Stretch since this file already exists. There have been other, more significant changes in Stretch as well. (Note: I've contributed to the Debian Jessie ZFS on Root Howto and have followed this guide for numerous systems on both Jessie and Stretch). 1) ZFS has made it into Debian Stretch, so it is no longer necessary to add the backports repository. You just need contrib. 2) The grub-pc package in Stretch provides ZFS support. In contrast, Jessie required installing the package from Testing, and this could cause issues with prior versions of the Howto, as it would often pull Grub's dependencies from Testing as well, blocking installation of among other things, Gnome. The Howto now ensures that dependencies are satisfied from Stable. 3) Since ZFS and grub-pc can be installed from Stable, there's no need to add the /etc/apt/preferences file for pinning priority.

ryao 9y ago

I promised a few people that I would do a fresh ZFS port to FUSE that could be merged into ZoL HEAD. While life has delayed that, I hope to make it a reality this year. It was intended to be a development aid, but I know that there are some internal politics in a few distributions about shipping out of tree kernel modules on install media. I am told that a FUSE port will alleviate the internal politics. I imagine Debian et al integration would improve once that is a reality. Conceptually, it should allow for users to make an easy switch to the kernel modules once the system is installed. Keep your eyes open for that later this year.