[linux-lvm] Very tricky new install of Linux (using LVM and Kernel 2.4)

[Mearl Danner]

I've used cpio in pass-thru mode to copy filesystems several times. From ext2 
to reiserfs and ext2 to ext2. All the special files (/dev, and pipes) made it 
through just fine.

On Thu, 12 Oct 2000 18:26:27 +0930 Mark Phillips <mark at ist.flinders.edu.au> 
wrote:

> Erik Bågfors [bagfors at pdc.kth.se] wrote:
> 
> > This is more or less what I did.  But you only need a small partition to
> > install to.
> 
> Thanks for this!  I have since been thinking about a similar plan,
> though I was thinking of perhaps initially installing the basic
> installation on another drive and then copying it across to my new
> drive (on LVM partitions).  That way I could have / under LVM as well
> if I wanted.
> 
> I have a few questions:
> 
> 1. What is a safe way of copying between partitions?  Ie is there a
> risk of corruption?
> 
> 2. How stable is LVM?  Is it worth having your / partition as a real
> partition (not a LV) just for reliability sake?  I agree that having a
> non LVM / partition makes things easier to boot up, but is this the
> only concern, or are there other reasons for not making / LVM?
> 
> 3. How much space did you give to /?  I'm not sure how much you would
> need.  And what parts of the filesystem did you chose to put on LVM?
> 
> 4. How did you deal with the 8Gig disk barrier (assuming you have a
> disk bigger than this)?  Did you also have a /boot partition, or did
> you just include this in your / partition?
> 
> 5. Doesn't reiserfs have some stability problems and problems with nfs
> and a few other issues?  Also do you need to patch the 2.4.0-test9
> kernel in order to get reiserfs?  Is reiserfs going to make it into
> the 2.4 kernel?
> 
> 
> Thanks again for your help.  It was very informative.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Mark.
> 
> 
> > 
> > I can give you some step-by-step-instructions. Maybe other people like 
> > them too.
> > 
> > *) compile a new kernel on another computer (use make-kpkg so you get a
> >    debian-package
> > *) Create two small partitions one for / and one for swap (I used 60MB for
> >    /)
> > *) install debian the usual way.
> > *) After the base stuff is installed, install the new kernel-package and
> >    reboot
> > *) remove the swap-partition (swapoff -a and fdisk)
> > *) create a lvm-partition, and do pvcreate.
> > *) create a vg
> > *) create lv's for swap, usr, var, tmp and so on
> > *) fix the swap and start it
> > *) create filesystems on the lv's (I use reiserfs and am really happy with
> >    it)
> > *) move data from /usr to the lv for /usr; mv /usr /usr.old; mount the new
> >    /usr,  do the same for the other lv's. (remember to chmod /tmp correctly
> >    or you'll run into problems :) )
> > *) edit /etc/fstab and add all the filesystem (don't forget the swap).
> > 
> > I left / on a none-lvm partition just because it's the easiest way to do
> > it and you normaly don't need to resize it or anything.
> > 
> > *) reboot to make sure everything comes up right.
> > *) finnish the debian-installation (dselect or apt-get or whatever).
> > 
> > If you use reiserfs you can resize online and if your system crashes it
> > will come upp safe (and fast).  I wrote a small perl-script to do the
> > resizing for me.
> > 
> > I still need to convert my / to reiserfs :)
> > 
> > /Erik
> > -- 
> > Erik Bågfors               | Center for Parallel Computers
> > http://erik.bagfors.nu/    | http://www.pdc.kth.se/
> > erik at bagfors.nu            | bagfors at pdc.kth.se  
> > Supporter of free software | GSM +46 70 398 54 43 
> > fingerprint: 6666 A85B 95D3 D26B 296B 6C60 4F32 2C0B 693D 6E32
> 
> -- 
> _/~~~~~~~~\___/~~~~~~\____________________________________________________
> ____/~~\_____/~~\__/~~\__________________________Mark_Phillips____________
> ____/~~\_____/~~\________________________________mark at ist.flinders.edu.au_
> ____/~~\HE___/~~\__/~~\APTAIN_____________________________________________
> ____/~~\______/~~~~~~\____________________________________________________
> __________________________________________________________________________
>         "They told me I was gullible ... and I believed them!" 
> 

-----------------------------------------
Mearl Danner
Data Communications/Network Specialist
Email: jmdanner at samford.edu
Samford University