One observation and two questions after fresh install and config restore

[Patrick M. Hausen]

Hi all,

I just reinstalled my main firewall with 21.7 to test the new ZFS installer.

Observation:
The installer does not delete an existing GPT partition scheme from the target disks. If one is already present it fails. One needs to log into a shell, clean the disks, resume installation. No big deal, but is this intended? Worth a bug ticket?

Question 1:
The automatic resolution of plugin conflicts is great! Really. Great work, folks, thanks. But what is an "orphaned" plugin? See screenshot, please.

Question 2:
The installer did not mirror the swap partitions but created the swap like this:

Code Select Expand

root@opnsense:~ # swapinfo
Device          1K-blocks     Used    Avail Capacity
/dev/ada0p3       8388608        0  8388608     0%
/dev/ada1p3       8388608        0  8388608     0%
Total            16777216        0 16777216     0%

I'd like to have those two partitions in a geom mirror. While I am perfectly capable of configuring this - is there alread a plan for future versions? I'd like my custom configuration to survive future updates.

Thanks! Great release! Still sooooo looking forward to 22.1 ;)

[franco]

Hi!

The installer does not delete an existing GPT partition scheme from the target disks. If one is already present it fails. One needs to log into a shell, clean the disks, resume installation. No big deal, but is this intended? Worth a bug ticket?

Yes please. https://github.com/opnsense/installer/issues

I might add it's odd since this is closely aligned with FreeBSD so it either has been missed or they don't seem to do it either.

Question 1:
The automatic resolution of plugin conflicts is great! Really. Great work, folks, thanks. But what is an "orphaned" plugin? See screenshot, please.

Orphaned here means the remote package database does not have an upstream equivalent (anymore). But this also happens when after a new install there is no remote package database yet. IT disappears after checking for updates (which populates the pkg remote database).

Question 2:
The installer did not mirror the swap partitions but created the swap like this:

Code Select Expand

root@opnsense:~ # swapinfo
Device          1K-blocks     Used    Avail Capacity
/dev/ada0p3       8388608        0  8388608     0%
/dev/ada1p3       8388608        0  8388608     0%
Total            16777216        0 16777216     0%

I'd like to have those two partitions in a geom mirror. While I am perfectly capable of configuring this - is there alread a plan for future versions? I'd like my custom configuration to survive future updates.

Again, closely aligning with FreeBSD. I'd have to check. Ticket (best with creation instructions or a reference link) welcome.

Thanks! Great release! Still sooooo looking forward to 22.1 ;)

A couple of rough edges still but the progress has been great indeed. Thanks!


Cheers,
Franco

[errored out]

Franco, I just tried to install the OS using 21.7.1 and ran into an issue with multiple drives.  Using ZFS I can see the list what is installed, but I can not see what the sizes are.  Is this an issue only with my system?  I can decide which one to choose as they are different sizes and I can't figure out which is the one 1 want to use.

[franco]

I think that's the driver not reporting anything... Can you try to go to the UFS install selection: it should at least give you a size hint we added and ZFS currently uses the standard FreeBSD disk probe list.


Cheers,
Franco

[errored out]

Would it be possible to add a note in the documentation to provide this information?  It seems important and since the information is not available during the actual setup, it should be notated. This will save people from headaches and complaining about a good software.

[dwasifar]

Observation:
The installer does not delete an existing GPT partition scheme from the target disks. If one is already present it fails. One needs to log into a shell, clean the disks, resume installation. No big deal, but is this intended? Worth a bug ticket?

I have consistently had that problem since I started using OPNsense.  I've developed the habit of connecting the drive to a Linux box and using dd to overwrite the partition table with zeroes (dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sdx bs=1M count=1) before installing OPNsense to it.

[Patrick M. Hausen]

After re-imaging three more systems without problems I suspect this only happens when a ZFS installation is present, while a UFS installation will be overwritten just fine.

I have to find some time to reproduce that in a VM to file a proper bug report.

[franco]

It's been my experience that I haven't seen this more than once or twice over the last 5 years or so.

In any case I already created a ticket, but more info is welcome:

https://github.com/opnsense/installer/issues/16


Cheers,
Franco