[linux-lvm] SuSE/LVM boot problem

[Ulf Bartelt]

Michael Marxmeier wrote:
> AFAIR someone already did something similar by hacking the partition
> table  and creating an overlapping partition which just happened to
> map to the root LV.

someone == me.

It´d work if the root were the only partition but I preferred to do this
hack on /boot and /.


What do I gain?

I just refer /boot and / by the "partition aliases" in fstab and
lilo.conf and my system boots strictly conventional.

And when turning off lvm functionality becomes a must, the init.d-script
can safely switch lvm off and I´m still able to access /boot and /.

When the system crashes by eventually using wrong lvm tools, I still can
get up the essential file systems and insert the right lvm tools from
e.g. a floppy (I needed this once since 11-1999).


What do I loose?

/ and /boot appear as conventional partitions in all locations e.g. df
output. I cannot switch from partition alias to lvm addressing after the
system comes up. While not modifying the boot setup, /boot could be
mounted using the lv device, but I see no reason why this would make
sense...

Both partitions are flagged to be contiguous and <strong>I</strong> have
to remember, not to move them arround. I´d like to have a nonmoveable
flag in lvm instead...

If I´d resize or move /boot or /, I´d have to recalculate the faked
partition entries.

I have to tell the geometry of the boot drive to the kernel on booting
("append=" in lilo.conf is enough) cause the kernel guesses arround and
shows strange geometries if I do not...

As long as lvm is not launched and brought down by some kernel code like
the raid stuff, I thing this way is my favourite one...


Bye!
	Ulf.