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You can install the Nix package manager on other Linuxes (or Mac) and use it to manage some packages. It keeps ZFS up to date and that may be an option for ins

You can install the Nix package manager on other Linuxes (or Mac) and use it to manage some packages. It keeps ZFS up to date and that may be an option for installing it on Ubuntu. I’ve never done this before so not sure, ask in the Nix community to verify.

remexre 4y ago
I would suspect Nix wouldn't be the optimal way to manage Ubuntu kernel modules; I suppose you could use it to build them, but I don't think Nix without NixOS will e.g. configure DKMS for you.
ratorx 4y ago
This isn’t a good idea. ZFS needs to be kept in sync with the kernel version. If you use Nix on Ubuntu, Ubuntu manages the kernel, so Nix can’t do anything. ZFS on NixOS is pretty neat though. The exact version pinning means that ZFS and the kernel can be updated together and only once both packages build at a new version. There’s also an open issue for more extensive checks, so hopefully eventually NixOS CI will be able to check not just that the ZFS and kernel are compatible (header-wise), but actually go through the motion of creating test ZFS dataset and make sure it actually works.
- SkyMarshal 4y ago
  Yeah makes sense. I use ZFS on NixOS and it mostly just works. Sometimes there's a lag of a few weeks between when the kernel gets a minor update but ZFS isn't yet updated to match, and rebuilding NixOS will fail during that time. Not a showstopper, just a temporary annoyance, but it sounds like that CI pull request will fix this.
  - ratorx 4y ago
    Oh, strange I’ve never had issues with this. Do you use unstable? If so that might explain it. I tend to use stable for everything then overlay the unstable/git master versions of the packages I need. EDIT: Actually ignore me, of course stable won’t have problems because updates are held back…. I don’t think the CI thing will help. I think what’s happening here is a build time check that prevents any new kernel version with ZFS until the upstream announces support. I don’t think this check will be removed even if there was better CI. Also, possibly your issues might go away if you used ‘config.boot.zfs.package.latestCompatibleLinuxPackages’ (from NixOS wiki for ZFS). I think that version is only updated once upstream announces support for a newer kernel.

remexre 4y ago

I would suspect Nix wouldn't be the optimal way to manage Ubuntu kernel modules; I suppose you could use it to build them, but I don't think Nix without NixOS will e.g. configure DKMS for you.

ratorx 4y ago

This isn’t a good idea. ZFS needs to be kept in sync with the kernel version. If you use Nix on Ubuntu, Ubuntu manages the kernel, so Nix can’t do anything. ZFS on NixOS is pretty neat though. The exact version pinning means that ZFS and the kernel can be updated together and only once both packages build at a new version. There’s also an open issue for more extensive checks, so hopefully eventually NixOS CI will be able to check not just that the ZFS and kernel are compatible (header-wise), but actually go through the motion of creating test ZFS dataset and make sure it actually works.

SkyMarshal 4y ago
Yeah makes sense. I use ZFS on NixOS and it mostly just works. Sometimes there's a lag of a few weeks between when the kernel gets a minor update but ZFS isn't yet updated to match, and rebuilding NixOS will fail during that time. Not a showstopper, just a temporary annoyance, but it sounds like that CI pull request will fix this.
- ratorx 4y ago
  Oh, strange I’ve never had issues with this. Do you use unstable? If so that might explain it. I tend to use stable for everything then overlay the unstable/git master versions of the packages I need. EDIT: Actually ignore me, of course stable won’t have problems because updates are held back…. I don’t think the CI thing will help. I think what’s happening here is a build time check that prevents any new kernel version with ZFS until the upstream announces support. I don’t think this check will be removed even if there was better CI. Also, possibly your issues might go away if you used ‘config.boot.zfs.package.latestCompatibleLinuxPackages’ (from NixOS wiki for ZFS). I think that version is only updated once upstream announces support for a newer kernel.