Installing Arch Linux w/ RAID

[Carlwill]

I have been struggling with successfully installing Arch Linux on my
PC with just two S-ATA drives. I am using the LiveCD / Netinst
"2009.08". The only partition I want for RAID is simply /home. I have
two identical disks and am partition as follows:

/dev/sda1 = 2048 (bootable) */boot*
/dev/sda2 = 40960 */*
/dev/sda3 = 102400 *RAID*

/dev/sdb1 = 2048 *Swap*
/dev/sdb2 = 40960 */var*
/dev/sdb3 = 102400 *RAID*

Then I create the RAID after I run "cfdisk" utility:

mdadm --create --verbose /dev/md0 --level=1 --raid-devices=2 /dev/sda3 /dev/sdb3

Once that is done, I run "/arch/setup command from the comand prompt
and enter the system installer as normal. I have simply already
created my disks, all I do from the installer now is assign a file
system and mount point. It recognizes the RAID /dev/md0 partition I
created using mdadm utility. Everything is fine but when I install
Grub on /dev/sda and reboot the machine, I always fail to boot. I get
some strange error that tells me to type "Control-D" for maintenance
mode or something like that. If I do everything like I did above but
don't create a RAID partition, Arch installs perfect!

What am I doing wrong? The Arch Wiki is not helping me at all. I have
spent a week trying to follow the Wiki with help from the forums and
to no avail I have given up. I can't see this being that hard. I think
I bork something up when I install Grub but I get no errors and it
tells me I installed Grub successfully on /dev/sda.

http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=80776

Thanks for any help in getting me a working Arch Linux system with RAID.

[Jackson Alley]

I have always had to edit my /boot/grub/menu.lst
I have /boot on md1 and root on md0 so my menu.lst looks like this:

# (1) Arch Linux
title  Arch Linux  [/boot/vmlinuz26]
root   (hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz26 root=/dev/array/root ro
md=1,/dev/sda1,/dev/sdb1,/dev/sdc1,/dev/sdd1
md=0,/dev/sda2,/dev/sdb2,/dev/sdc2,/dev/sdd2
initrd /kernel26.img

Hope that helps,
Jackson

On Mon, 2009-10-26 at 09:26 -0400, Carlos Williams wrote:

> I have been struggling with successfully installing Arch Linux on my
> PC with just two S-ATA drives. I am using the LiveCD / Netinst
> "2009.08". The only partition I want for RAID is simply /home. I have
> two identical disks and am partition as follows:
>
> /dev/sda1 = 2048 (bootable) */boot*
> /dev/sda2 = 40960 */*
> /dev/sda3 = 102400 *RAID*
>
> /dev/sdb1 = 2048 *Swap*
> /dev/sdb2 = 40960 */var*
> /dev/sdb3 = 102400 *RAID*
>
> Then I create the RAID after I run "cfdisk" utility:
>
> mdadm --create --verbose /dev/md0 --level=1 --raid-devices=2 /dev/sda3 /dev/sdb3
>
> Once that is done, I run "/arch/setup command from the comand prompt
> and enter the system installer as normal. I have simply already
> created my disks, all I do from the installer now is assign a file
> system and mount point. It recognizes the RAID /dev/md0 partition I
> created using mdadm utility. Everything is fine but when I install
> Grub on /dev/sda and reboot the machine, I always fail to boot. I get
> some strange error that tells me to type "Control-D" for maintenance
> mode or something like that. If I do everything like I did above but
> don't create a RAID partition, Arch installs perfect!
>
> What am I doing wrong? The Arch Wiki is not helping me at all. I have
> spent a week trying to follow the Wiki with help from the forums and
> to no avail I have given up. I can't see this being that hard. I think
> I bork something up when I install Grub but I get no errors and it
> tells me I installed Grub successfully on /dev/sda.
>
> http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=80776
>
> Thanks for any help in getting me a working Arch Linux system with RAID.

[Carlwill]

On Mon, Oct 26, 2009 at 2:06 PM, toomanymirrors
<toomanymirrors@...> wrote:

> I have always had to edit my /boot/grub/menu.lst
> I have /boot on md1 and root on md0 so my menu.lst looks like this:
>
> # (1) Arch Linux
> title  Arch Linux  [/boot/vmlinuz26]
> root   (hd0,0)
> kernel /vmlinuz26 root=/dev/array/root ro
> md=1,/dev/sda1,/dev/sdb1,/dev/sdc1,/dev/sdd1
> md=0,/dev/sda2,/dev/sdb2,/dev/sdc2,/dev/sdd2
> initrd /kernel26.img
>
> Hope that helps,
> Jackson

Thanks! It does help! When you're in the main installer window of the
Arch Linux CD, you you skip the "Install Bootloader" option or do you
select it? The Wiki indicates that I should skip it and do it manually
however my /boot and / partitions are not under RAID. Just my /home
partition is. I would think I should be able to use it, no?

Even when I simply try to install Arch with a separate RAID1 /home
partition, I have no luck.

[Phillip Smith-7]

2009/10/27 Carlos Williams <carloswill@...>

> On Mon, Oct 26, 2009 at 2:06 PM, toomanymirrors
>
> When you're in the main installer window of the
> Arch Linux CD, you you skip the "Install Bootloader" option or do you
> select it? The Wiki indicates that I should skip it and do it manually
> however my /boot and / partitions are not under RAID. Just my /home
> partition is. I would think I should be able to use it, no?
>
> Even when I simply try to install Arch with a separate RAID1 /home
> partition, I have no luck.
>

I've installed on RAID several times in the last week (diagnosing hardware
problems!) and everytime after I installed, I had to boot the LiveCD and
re-run `mkinitcpio -p kernel26` before the system would boot...

[Carlwill]

On Mon, Oct 26, 2009 at 6:04 PM, Phillip Smith <arch-general@...> wrote:
> I've installed on RAID several times in the last week (diagnosing hardware
> problems!) and everytime after I installed, I had to boot the LiveCD and
> re-run `mkinitcpio -p kernel26` before the system would boot...

When I fist asked why I don't see an option for Arch to configure RAID
after I partition my system like I do on most popular distributions
like CentOS, Debian, Fedora, Ubuntu, etc etc etc, I was told that
"Arch does not hold your hand" which is fine. I liked the challenge of
using the CLI to build my RAID partition & using 'mdadm' to build /
activate the RAID1 mirror but after the last 3 weeks trying to follow
the Wiki and forum advice, it appears that the Arch approach is
extremely poor. The Wiki has great info but they mix the RAID / LVM
info into all one so people who just want to mirror two or three
drives get really confused with the LVM instructions randomly placed
into RAID Wiki. The installer from the LiveCD / Netinst CD is very
straight forward and extremely easy to configure. I am not a Linux
newbie but I am very surprised that a distro which appears to be as
popular and mature as Arch can't fix something as basic as RAID
configuration. Everyone has noted that they had to do some kind of
strange modification to get their RAID install to work. This looks
really bad for me because I don't want to have to rig a system to work
especially after I just installed it. It should just work. I hope
someone sees this as a constructive comment and not a flame and feels
its worth a fix. I would love to see the ability to get a Arch Linux
RAID system going a bit more user friendly. I am not asking the
configuration to hold my hand but for crying out loud...work out the
box with out having to mod anything.

[Xavier Chantry-2]

On Tue, Oct 27, 2009 at 1:18 PM, Carlos Williams <carloswill@...> wrote:

> On Mon, Oct 26, 2009 at 6:04 PM, Phillip Smith <arch-general@...> wrote:
>> I've installed on RAID several times in the last week (diagnosing hardware
>> problems!) and everytime after I installed, I had to boot the LiveCD and
>> re-run `mkinitcpio -p kernel26` before the system would boot...
>
> When I fist asked why I don't see an option for Arch to configure RAID
> after I partition my system like I do on most popular distributions
> like CentOS, Debian, Fedora, Ubuntu, etc etc etc, I was told that
> "Arch does not hold your hand" which is fine. I liked the challenge of
> using the CLI to build my RAID partition & using 'mdadm' to build /
> activate the RAID1 mirror but after the last 3 weeks trying to follow
> the Wiki and forum advice, it appears that the Arch approach is
> extremely poor. The Wiki has great info but they mix the RAID / LVM
> info into all one so people who just want to mirror two or three
> drives get really confused with the LVM instructions randomly placed
> into RAID Wiki. The installer from the LiveCD / Netinst CD is very
> straight forward and extremely easy to configure. I am not a Linux
> newbie but I am very surprised that a distro which appears to be as
> popular and mature as Arch can't fix something as basic as RAID
> configuration. Everyone has noted that they had to do some kind of
> strange modification to get their RAID install to work. This looks
> really bad for me because I don't want to have to rig a system to work
> especially after I just installed it. It should just work. I hope
> someone sees this as a constructive comment and not a flame and feels
> its worth a fix. I would love to see the ability to get a Arch Linux
> RAID system going a bit more user friendly. I am not asking the
> configuration to hold my hand but for crying out loud...work out the
> box with out having to mod anything.
>

If you want to be constructive, create a wiki page only about raid, if
there isn't already one.

And you have to figure out which strange modifications are needed and
why, try finding the real problem, and report it on the bug tracker.

[Carlwill]

On Mon, Oct 26, 2009 at 6:04 PM, Phillip Smith <arch-general@...> wrote:
> 2009/10/27 Carlos Williams <carloswill@...>
> I've installed on RAID several times in the last week (diagnosing hardware
> problems!) and everytime after I installed, I had to boot the LiveCD and
> re-run `mkinitcpio -p kernel26` before the system would boot...

When I follow the Wiki guide, I am adding in "mdadm" in the
mkinitcpio.conf file under the 'HOOKS" sections. Is this correct? Is
there anything else I need to add to that file or simply just add the
'mdadm'? I don't know if I need to add 'raid1' on the modules line.
Can you please tell me what you did to get this working?

[Carlwill]

On Tue, Oct 27, 2009 at 8:27 AM, Xavier <shiningxc@...> wrote:
> If you want to be constructive, create a wiki page only about raid, if
> there isn't already one.
>
> And you have to figure out which strange modifications are needed and
> why, try finding the real problem, and report it on the bug tracker.

I guess I will just explain what I am doing in detail. If anyone can
please take some time and review my steps in accordance to what you
know to be successful, please let me know. I am so badly trying to get
this working on Arch.

1. Boot from the 2009.08 Netinst / Live CD

2. Login as root (no password) in the live environment

3. Add the required modules for RAID by running the following commands:
   - modprobe raid0
   - modprobe raid1
   - modprobe raid5

4. I run the 'cfdisk' utility to partition my two identical drives for
RAID1 use:
   - cfdisk /dev/sda
   *sda1 = boot --- Primary --- Linux --- 2048 (MB)
   *sda2 = root --- Primary  --- Linux --- 40960 (MB)
   *sda3 = raid --- Primary --- Linux raid --- 102400 (MB)

   *sdb1 = swap --- Primary --- Linux swap --- 2048 (MB)
   *sdb2 = /etc ---   Primary --- Linux --- 40960 (MB)
   *sdb3 = raid --- Primary  ---- Linux raid --- 102400 (MB)

5. I then run the command to build my RAID mirror for /dev/sda3 &
/dev/sdb3 which will be used for /home.
   mdadm --create --verbose /dev/md0 --level=1 --raid-devices=2
/dev/sda3 /dev/sdb3

6. On the Arch Wiki page I skip the entire section under "Setup LVM
and Create the / (root) LVM Volume" since I don't want LVM, just RAID.

7. On the Arch Wiki page I skip the entire "OPTIONAL" section  under
"Create and Mount the Filesystems" since the installer wont let you
skiip this section even if you already did it via command line ahead
of time. It looks like this must be done via /arch/setup.

8. I run the following command in the command line of the Live CD:
   rm /etc/mdadm.conf
   mdadm –D –-scan >> /etc/mdadm.conf

9. Verify the step I did in # 8 above:
  cat /etc/mdadm.conf
  ARRAY /dev/md0 level=raid1 num-devices=2 metadata=0.90
UUID=6beb1da7:823eed3e:42odcjij

10. Type /arch/setup to launch the main installer.

11. From the installer menu run the option 1 = Select Source = net

12. Setup Network

13. Choose Mirror

14. Set up the clock

15. Prepare Hard Drive(s) menu I skip the Manually partition hard
drives section since I already did this in 'cfdisk' above and select
option #3 for "Manually Configure block devices / filesystems &
mountpoints.

 - /dev/sda1 = ext3 mounted on /boot
 - /dev/sda2 = ext3 mounted on /

 - /dev/sdb1 = swap
 - /dev/sdb2 = ext3 mount on /etc

 - /dev/md0 = ext3 mounted /home

16. Install packages - I install all base group packages and nothing
more except 'openssh-server * sudo'.

17. Configure System:

 - I edit the rc.conf file to have my "hostname" and nothing else. I
leave LVM=no as it is by default.
 - I edit the mkinitcpio.conf and add 'mdadm' on the "HOOKS" line
before "filesystems" as noted in the Wiki.
 - Check /etc/resolv.conf
 - Check /etc/hosts file for correct info
 - Root-Password - change root password for new system
 - Select "Done / Return to Main Menu"

18. Do I skip "Install Bootloader" from Main Menu installer? The Wiki
shows directions to do this manually however my / and /boot partitions
are not on RAID, just my /home partition. Do I need to follow the
method the Wiki suggests for Grub install manually -vs- automated
install on /dev/sda?

Please let me know what you think!

[Jackson Alley]

On Tue, 2009-10-27 at 12:23 -0400, Carlos Williams wrote:

> On Tue, Oct 27, 2009 at 8:27 AM, Xavier <shiningxc@...> wrote:
> > If you want to be constructive, create a wiki page only about raid, if
> > there isn't already one.
> >
> > And you have to figure out which strange modifications are needed and
> > why, try finding the real problem, and report it on the bug tracker.
>
> I guess I will just explain what I am doing in detail. If anyone can
> please take some time and review my steps in accordance to what you
> know to be successful, please let me know. I am so badly trying to get
> this working on Arch.
>
> 1. Boot from the 2009.08 Netinst / Live CD
>
> 2. Login as root (no password) in the live environment
>
> 3. Add the required modules for RAID by running the following commands:
>    - modprobe raid0
>    - modprobe raid1
>    - modprobe raid5
>
> 4. I run the 'cfdisk' utility to partition my two identical drives for
> RAID1 use:
>    - cfdisk /dev/sda
>    *sda1 = boot --- Primary --- Linux --- 2048 (MB)
>    *sda2 = root --- Primary  --- Linux --- 40960 (MB)
>    *sda3 = raid --- Primary --- Linux raid --- 102400 (MB)
>
>    *sdb1 = swap --- Primary --- Linux swap --- 2048 (MB)
>    *sdb2 = /etc ---   Primary --- Linux --- 40960 (MB)
>    *sdb3 = raid --- Primary  ---- Linux raid --- 102400 (MB)
>
> 5. I then run the command to build my RAID mirror for /dev/sda3 &
> /dev/sdb3 which will be used for /home.
>    mdadm --create --verbose /dev/md0 --level=1 --raid-devices=2
> /dev/sda3 /dev/sdb3
>
> 6. On the Arch Wiki page I skip the entire section under "Setup LVM
> and Create the / (root) LVM Volume" since I don't want LVM, just RAID.
>
> 7. On the Arch Wiki page I skip the entire "OPTIONAL" section  under
> "Create and Mount the Filesystems" since the installer wont let you
> skiip this section even if you already did it via command line ahead
> of time. It looks like this must be done via /arch/setup.
>
> 8. I run the following command in the command line of the Live CD:
>    rm /etc/mdadm.conf
>    mdadm –D –-scan >> /etc/mdadm.conf
>
> 9. Verify the step I did in # 8 above:
>   cat /etc/mdadm.conf
>   ARRAY /dev/md0 level=raid1 num-devices=2 metadata=0.90
> UUID=6beb1da7:823eed3e:42odcjij
>
> 10. Type /arch/setup to launch the main installer.
>
> 11. From the installer menu run the option 1 = Select Source = net
>
> 12. Setup Network
>
> 13. Choose Mirror
>
> 14. Set up the clock
>
> 15. Prepare Hard Drive(s) menu I skip the Manually partition hard
> drives section since I already did this in 'cfdisk' above and select
> option #3 for "Manually Configure block devices / filesystems &
> mountpoints.
>
>  - /dev/sda1 = ext3 mounted on /boot
>  - /dev/sda2 = ext3 mounted on /
>
>  - /dev/sdb1 = swap
>  - /dev/sdb2 = ext3 mount on /etc
>
>  - /dev/md0 = ext3 mounted /home
>
> 16. Install packages - I install all base group packages and nothing
> more except 'openssh-server * sudo'.
>
> 17. Configure System:
>
>  - I edit the rc.conf file to have my "hostname" and nothing else. I
> leave LVM=no as it is by default.
>  - I edit the mkinitcpio.conf and add 'mdadm' on the "HOOKS" line
> before "filesystems" as noted in the Wiki.
>  - Check /etc/resolv.conf
>  - Check /etc/hosts file for correct info
>  - Root-Password - change root password for new system
>  - Select "Done / Return to Main Menu"
>
> 18. Do I skip "Install Bootloader" from Main Menu installer? The Wiki
> shows directions to do this manually however my / and /boot partitions
> are not on RAID, just my /home partition. Do I need to follow the
> method the Wiki suggests for Grub install manually -vs- automated
> install on /dev/sda?
>
> Please let me know what you think!

I believe you need to add md-mod and raid1 to your rc.conf modules line.
I would suggest using the installer to configure grub since /boot and /
are not on raid partitions.

[Carlwill]

On Tue, Oct 27, 2009 at 2:06 PM, toomanymirrors
<toomanymirrors@...> wrote:
> I believe you need to add md-mod and raid1 to your rc.conf modules line.
> I would suggest using the installer to configure grub since /boot and /
> are not on raid partitions.

So you're saying during the System Configuration section I simply need
to add md-mod & raid1 to my rc.con modules line in no specific order,
right?

[Tobias Powalowski]

Am Dienstag 27 Oktober 2009 schrieb Carlos Williams:
> On Mon, Oct 26, 2009 at 6:04 PM, Phillip Smith <arch-general@...>
wrote:

> > 2009/10/27 Carlos Williams <carloswill@...>
> > I've installed on RAID several times in the last week (diagnosing
> > hardware problems!) and everytime after I installed, I had to boot the
> > LiveCD and re-run `mkinitcpio -p kernel26` before the system would
> > boot...
>
> When I follow the Wiki guide, I am adding in "mdadm" in the
> mkinitcpio.conf file under the 'HOOKS" sections. Is this correct? Is
> there anything else I need to add to that file or simply just add the
> 'mdadm'? I don't know if I need to add 'raid1' on the modules line.
> Can you please tell me what you did to get this working?
>

You could also give the archboot files a shot, there is also raid support

included:
ftp.archlinux.org/iso/archboot

greetings
tpowa
--
Tobias Powalowski
Archlinux Developer & Package Maintainer (tpowa)
http://www.archlinux.org
tpowa@...

[Carlwill]

On Tue, Oct 27, 2009 at 2:55 PM, Tobias Powalowski <t.powa@...> wrote:
> You could also give the archboot files a shot, there is also raid support
> included:
> ftp.archlinux.org/iso/archboot

What is 'Archboot' and the link in the email is dead. I'd like to more
ahead on just getting basic 2009.08 Arch installed with RAID1 on my
/home partition. Don't want to settle for less if you know what I
mean.

[Tobias Powalowski]

Am Dienstag 27 Oktober 2009 schrieb Carlos Williams:

> On Tue, Oct 27, 2009 at 2:55 PM, Tobias Powalowski <t.powa@...> wrote:
> > You could also give the archboot files a shot, there is also raid support
> > included:
> > ftp.archlinux.org/iso/archboot
>
> What is 'Archboot' and the link in the email is dead. I'd like to more
> ahead on just getting basic 2009.08 Arch installed with RAID1 on my
> /home partition. Don't want to settle for less if you know what I
> mean.
>

http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=77017

--
Tobias Powalowski
Archlinux Developer & Package Maintainer (tpowa)
http://www.archlinux.org
tpowa@...

[Carlwill]

On Tue, Oct 27, 2009 at 3:48 PM, Tobias Powalowski <t.powa@...> wrote:

> Am Dienstag 27 Oktober 2009 schrieb Carlos Williams:
>> On Tue, Oct 27, 2009 at 2:55 PM, Tobias Powalowski <t.powa@...> wrote:
>> > You could also give the archboot files a shot, there is also raid support
>> > included:
>> > ftp.archlinux.org/iso/archboot
>>
>> What is 'Archboot' and the link in the email is dead. I'd like to more
>> ahead on just getting basic 2009.08 Arch installed with RAID1 on my
>> /home partition. Don't want to settle for less if you know what I
>> mean.
>>
> http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=77017

Thanks but I am still trying to understand what I am doing wrong and
stop getting a kernel panic once I try and boot into my new system
with just RAID going on /home.

[Phillip Smith-7]

2009/10/28 Carlos Williams <carloswill@...>

>
> I guess I will just explain what I am doing in detail. If anyone can
> please take some time and review my steps in accordance to what you
> know to be successful, please let me know. I am so badly trying to get
> this working on Arch.
>
> 1. Boot from the 2009.08 Netinst / Live CD
>
> 2. Login as root (no password) in the live environment
>
> 3. Add the required modules for RAID by running the following commands:
>   - modprobe raid0
>   - modprobe raid1
>   - modprobe raid5
>
>

Everything you've written here looks correct -- except no need to load the
raid0 and raid5 modules if you're not going to use them. I doubt they will
be interfering, but you never know.

You should be able to install GRUB either way, I don't think it will matter.
Could you share your /boot/grub/menu.lst list file with us?

[Carlwill]

On Tue, Oct 27, 2009 at 5:42 PM, Phillip Smith <arch-general@...> wrote:

>> I guess I will just explain what I am doing in detail. If anyone can
>> please take some time and review my steps in accordance to what you
>> know to be successful, please let me know. I am so badly trying to get
>> this working on Arch.
>>
>> 1. Boot from the 2009.08 Netinst / Live CD
>>
>> 2. Login as root (no password) in the live environment
>>
>> 3. Add the required modules for RAID by running the following commands:
>>   - modprobe raid0
>>   - modprobe raid1
>>   - modprobe raid5
>>
>>
> Everything you've written here looks correct -- except no need to load the
> raid0 and raid5 modules if you're not going to use them. I doubt they will
> be interfering, but you never know.
>
> You should be able to install GRUB either way, I don't think it will matter.
> Could you share your /boot/grub/menu.lst list file with us?

Thanks for looking all that info over. I know it's a lot but I have
become obsessed with getting RAID working. I could understand if I was
having these issues trying to mirror my /boot and even maybe /
partition but I am simply attempting my /home which to my
understanding hardly impacts the system from booting into the kernel
or anything of that nature.

I didn't think I really needed to load the raid0 & raid5 modules
before I start the disk partitioning however at this point I am so
confused as to why this was not working, I didn't want to risk over
looking something simply as that.

At the point of writing this email, I have started the install process
over again and have basically so far done the following:

- booted from Live / Netinst 2009.08 CD.
- loaded raid1 modiles via "modprobe raid1".
- user 'cfdisk' utility to partition /dev/sda & /dev/sdb.
- created the RAID 1 mirror partition which will be assigned to /home
mount point.
- I allowed the RAID1 mirror to even finish synchronizing before
moving forward (even though the Wiki indicates that I can move forward
during the sync process)

# cat /proc/mdstat
Personalities : [raid1]
md0 : active raid1 sdb3[1] sda3[0]
         650568128 blocks [2/2] [UU]

unused devices: <none>

- I removed the default /etc/mdadm.conf file after I created my RAID1
partition and updated it with my current RAID1 configuration.

# cat /etc/mdadm.conf
ARRAY /dev/md0 level=raid1 num-devices=2 metadata=0.90 UUID=[snip]

- run /arch/setup
- configure network, mirrors, & disks.
- install base packages

Now I am to the point on the install where I need to 'Configure
System' after the 'Package Selection' menu.

- I basically leave the 'rc.conf' file alone. I leave the default
'hostname' since I don't care about that right now and by default
'LVM=no' since I am not using LVM, just RAID.
- I check out my /etc/fstab configuration and I have exactly what you
see below (minus anything that was commented out)

none     /dev/pts       devpts     defaults     0     0
none     /dev/shm     tmpfs       defaults     0     0

/dev/md0     /home     ext3     defaults     0     1
/dev/sda1     /boot      ext3      defaults    0     1
/dev/sda2     /            ext3      defaults    0     1
/dev/sdb1     swap     swap      defaults    0     0
/dev/sdb2     /etc        ext3      defaults    0     1

Everything on top looks fine to me except I don't know what the first
two entries are but everything below that point is exactly how I
formated and partition the two disks on my system.

I then edit the 'mkinitcpio.conf' file. Here I only add 'mdadm' to
'HOOKS' list as shown below:

HOOKS="base udev autodetect pata scsi sata mdadm filesystems"

Everything else except HOOKS in that file from what I can see is
either blank or commented out completely.
I then continue with the 'System Configuration' menu:

- Skip '/etc/modprobe.d/modprobe.conf'
- Configure '/etc/resolv.conf'
- Configure '/etc/hosts*'
- Skip /etc/locale.gen
- Skip /etc pacman.conf
- Skip /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist
- Set root password
- DONE

It then rebuilds initcpio images and I can see it's using the 'mdadm'
hook I added in the config.

Now it's time for option 7 'Install Bootlader'

- I select Grub.
- It tells me, "Before installing GRUB, you must review the config
file. You will be put into the editor. After you save your changes and
exit the editor, you can install Grub.
 BELOW is the config file it presents me:

##################################################################

timeout   5
default    0
color light-blue/black light-cyan/blue

# (0) Arch Linux
title Arch Linux
root   (hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz26 root=/dev/disk/by-uid/2fbe575b-7fef-4350-9398-d69c3d550de2 ro
initrd /kernel26.img

# (1) Arch Linux
title Arch Linux Fallback
root   (hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz26 root=/dev/disk/by-uid/2fbe575b-7fef-4350-9398-d69c3d550de2 ro
initrd /kernel26-fallback.img

##################################################################

That looks fine to me I guess but I don't really know too much about
GRUB. Once I exit 'vi' from the Grub config. I am asked where to load
the Grub bootloader. The first option is /dev/sda and I select that
for the MBR rather than /dev/sdb, /dev/sda1, /dev/sda2, /dev/sdb1,
/dev/sdb2, /dev/md0.
I get a message "GRUB was successfully installed" and press OK.
I exit install and press reboot as prompted.

When the system reboots, GRUB loads fine and I select the default
option and then I get a bunch of flowing text on the screen and here
is what I can see as maybe being valuable:

:: Initramfs Completed - control passing to kinit
IP-Config: no devices to configure
Waiting 0 s before mounting root device...
kjournald starting.  Commit interval 5 seconds
EXT3-fs: mounted root (ext3 filesystem) readonly.
INIT: version 2.86 booting
INIT: No initab file found

Enter runlevel:

Sadly my keyboard is not working anymore after I select my Grub option
from the reboot.

Any thoughts?

[Baho Utot]

Carlos Williams wrote:

[putolin]

> :: Initramfs Completed - control passing to kinit
> IP-Config: no devices to configure
> Waiting 0 s before mounting root device...
> kjournald starting.  Commit interval 5 seconds
> EXT3-fs: mounted root (ext3 filesystem) readonly.
> INIT: version 2.86 booting
> INIT: No initab file found
>
>  

This means that grub/kernel can not find/read the root file system, the
kernel needs to past control to init and it can not find /etc/inittab

 From your grub menu.lst file

kernel /vmlinuz26 root=/dev/disk/by-uid/2fbe575b-7fef-4350-9398-d69c3d550de2 ro

try changing to

kernel /vmlinuz26 root=/dev/sda2 ro

Are you sure that /dev/sda2 is your root filesystem?

[Jackson Alley]

On Wed, 2009-10-28 at 15:24 -0400, Baho Utot wrote:

> Carlos Williams wrote:
>
> [putolin]
>
> > :: Initramfs Completed - control passing to kinit
> > IP-Config: no devices to configure
> > Waiting 0 s before mounting root device...
> > kjournald starting.  Commit interval 5 seconds
> > EXT3-fs: mounted root (ext3 filesystem) readonly.
> > INIT: version 2.86 booting
> > INIT: No initab file found
> >
> >  
>
> This means that grub/kernel can not find/read the root file system, the
> kernel needs to past control to init and it can not find /etc/inittab
>
>  From your grub menu.lst file
>
> kernel /vmlinuz26 root=/dev/disk/by-uid/2fbe575b-7fef-4350-9398-d69c3d550de2 ro
>
> try changing to
>
> kernel /vmlinuz26 root=/dev/sda2 ro
>
> Are you sure that /dev/sda2 is your root filesystem?
>
>

I agree, with /dev/md0 being your home directory there should not be any
kernel panic even if it's not being properly mounted at boot. It sounds
like there is another issue going on. Try the suggestion above for grub
and I didn't notice you mentioning you'd added md_mod and raid1 to the
MODULES list in your rc.conf file either. You will need to do that.

[Carlwill]

On Fri, Oct 30, 2009 at 9:19 AM, toomanymirrors
<toomanymirrors@...> wrote:
> I agree, with /dev/md0 being your home directory there should not be any
> kernel panic even if it's not being properly mounted at boot. It sounds
> like there is another issue going on. Try the suggestion above for grub
> and I didn't notice you mentioning you'd added md_mod and raid1 to the
> MODULES list in your rc.conf file either. You will need to do that.

If I have my system configured as follows:

/dev/sda1 = /boot (bootable)
/dev/sda2 = /
/dev/sda3 = RAID

/dev/sdb1 = swap
/dev/sdb2 = /var
/dev/sdb3 = RAID

mdadm --create /dev/md0 --level=1 --raid-devices=2 /dev/sda3 /dev/sdb3

Once that is done, since I am not using RAID on anything but my /home
partition, do I need to add 'md_mod' & 'raid1' in the rc.conf section?
Is this a requirement because the Wiki mentions nothing about it...

[Jackson Alley]

Yes, no matter where you mount a raid partition to, you will necessarily
need the raid modules loaded. Accessing hardware requires drivers.
Jackson


On Tue, 2009-12-01 at 11:25 -0500, Carlos Williams wrote:

> On Fri, Oct 30, 2009 at 9:19 AM, toomanymirrors
> <toomanymirrors@...> wrote:
> > I agree, with /dev/md0 being your home directory there should not be any
> > kernel panic even if it's not being properly mounted at boot. It sounds
> > like there is another issue going on. Try the suggestion above for grub
> > and I didn't notice you mentioning you'd added md_mod and raid1 to the
> > MODULES list in your rc.conf file either. You will need to do that.
>
> If I have my system configured as follows:
>
> /dev/sda1 = /boot (bootable)
> /dev/sda2 = /
> /dev/sda3 = RAID
>
> /dev/sdb1 = swap
> /dev/sdb2 = /var
> /dev/sdb3 = RAID
>
> mdadm --create /dev/md0 --level=1 --raid-devices=2 /dev/sda3 /dev/sdb3
>
> Once that is done, since I am not using RAID on anything but my /home
> partition, do I need to add 'md_mod' & 'raid1' in the rc.conf section?
> Is this a requirement because the Wiki mentions nothing about it...