User:Menno/Installing Arch Linux with EVMS
This HOWTO describes how to install Arch Linux with all filesytems (including the root-filesystem) managed by Enterprise Volume Management System (EVMS).
Note: EVMS is no longer being developed. The last stable version was released in 2006. An alternative to EVMS is LVM. Also many of the features in EVMS were added to LVM.
Disclaimer
Following this guide can destroy your data. Backup all your data first or live with it if something goes wrong.
Introduction
EVMS is a tool that provides easy and unified access to RAID (0,1,4,5,6,10), LVM, expanding and shrinking of volumes and file systems, bad block relocation and more.
EVMS is not supported on the Arch Linux install CDs, so the install requires some extra steps:
- Install a minimal Arch Linux system on a normal partition
- Install the EVMS package and create EVMS-volumes
- Copy all files to the EVMS-volumes
It's not my intention to explain all ins and outs of EVMS, readers unfamiliar with EVMS should read the EVMS User Guide.
I've tested EVMS on Arch Linux in a virtual machine (VirtualBox). I'm relatively new to Arch Linux, but I've used EVMS for about 2 years on Gentoo.
Storage plan
An important part of setting up a system with EVMS is making a plan that describes how the harddisk space will be used, where you use RAID or LVM and so on. Because the install CD does not support EVMS, you need a partition of a minimum of 500MB for the initial installation. After the installation this partition is available for normal use, for example as Swap-space. Another solution is to use a portable medium (e.g. a flash drive) with Arch installed already, and perform these operations on a mounted hard drive within the target system; however, this method will not be covered in the procedure below.
In this HOWTO I will use an example setup with 2 disks, 4GB and 2GB. I'll create 5 volumes: A picture tells more than a thousand words, see [1].
![[1]](http://tammens.home.xs4all.nl/images/storage-plan-evms.png){kind=link}
You'll need at least one "Compatibility volume" with enough space for a minimal Arch Linux install; 500MB should be enough.
Installing Arch Linux on the temporary partition
Install Arch Linux using the Installation guide.
- Partition the hard drives to match your design from the previous step; for our example, it is as follows:
Disk Drive: /dev/sda Name Flags Part Type FS Type [Label] Size (MB) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ sda1 Primary Linux 98.71 sda2 Primary Linux 2048.10 sda5 Logical Linux 1497.01 sda6 Logical Linux 649.80
Disk Drive: /dev/sdb Name Flags Part Type FS Type [Label] Size (MB) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ sdb1 Primary Linux 98.71 sdb2 Primary Linux 2048.10
- Install Arch Linux on the compatibility volume (/dev/sda6 in the example)
- Do not mount the other partitions
- The packages for mdadm and LVM are not necessary
- Answer "No" to all questions about RAID or LVM.
Install EVMS in Arch Linux
Boot your new Arch Linux system and install the EVMS package:
# pacman -S evms glib
Glib is needed for evmsn, the Ncurses interface to EVMS
Edit /etc/mkinicpio.conf:
- HOOKS=“base udev autodetect block keymap filesystems” + HOOKS=“base udev evms block keymap filesystems”
Edit /lib/initcpio/install/evms (FS#8895):
- MODULES="dm_mod md_mod" + MODULES=" $(checked_modules "drivers/md/*") "
Make a new initial RAM disk environment:
# mkinitcpio -p linux
Add the following to /etc/rc.sysinit, after the LVM block:
if [ "$USEEVMS" = "yes" -o "$USEEVMS" = "YES" ]; then
if [ -x /usr/sbin/evms_activate ]; then
stat_busy "Activating EVMS"
/usr/sbin/evms_activate
if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
stat_fail
else
stat_done
fi
fi
fi
Add this line to /etc/rc.conf:
USEEVMS="yes"
Change root-device in /etc/fstab ...
- /dev/sda6 / ext3 defaults 0 1 + /dev/evms/sda6 / ext3 defaults 0 1
... and in /boot/grub/menu.lst
- kernel /boot/vmlinuz-linux root=/dev/sda6 ro + kernel /boot/vmlinuz-linux root=/dev/evms/sda6 ro
Reboot.
Create EVMS-volumes
Start evmsn:
# evmsn
Remove automagicly created compatibility volumes on partitions you want to use with RAID and/or LVM
Actions » Delete » Volume...
+------------------------ Delete Logical Volume -------------------------+ | | | Logical Volume Size | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | | X /dev/evms/sda1 94.1 MB | | X /dev/evms/sda2 1.9 GB | | X /dev/evms/sda5 1.4 GB | | X /dev/evms/sdb1 94.1 MB | | X /dev/evms/sdb2 1.9 GB | | | | | | Use the spacebar key to make selections and choose Delete to continue | | | | [Help] [Cancel] [Recursive Delete] [Delete] | | | +------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------+ |Engine: Volume "/dev/evms/sda1" does not have a File System Interface Mo| |dule (FSIM) assigned to it. The volume may have a file system on it, bu| |t none of the installed FSIM plug-ins recognizes it. Do you want to wri| |te zeros to the first 1MB of the volume to potentially disable any file | |system that may be on the volume? | | | | [Write zeros] [Do not write zeros] [Cancel] | | | +------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------+ |Engine: Volume "/dev/evms/sda1" is not an EVMS volume. Removing a non-E| |VMS volume requires writing 1024 bytes of metadata at the end of the vol| |ume. The metadata will overwrite any data that may be at the end of the | |volume. Do you want to continue with the delete? | | | | [Continue] [Cancel] | | | +------------------------------------------------------------------------+
- Create RAID1 array on sda1 and sdb1
Actions » Create » Region...
+------------------------ Create Storage Region -------------------------+ | | | Region Manager | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | | MD Linear Raid Region Manager | | X MD Raid 1 Region Manager | | MD RAID0 Region Manager | | MD RAID 4/5 Region Manager | | MD Multipath Region Manager | | | | Use the spacebar key to make selections and choose Next to continue | | | | [Help] [Cancel] [Next] | | | +------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+-------------- Create Storage Region - Acceptable Objects --------------+ | | | Name Size | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | | X sda1 94.1 MB | | sda2 1.9 GB | | sda5 1.4 GB | | X sdb1 94.1 MB | | sdb2 1.9 GB | | | | | | Use the spacebar key to make selections and choose Next to continue | | | | [Help] [Cancel] [Previous] [Next] | | | +------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+------------ Create Storage Region - Configuration Options -------------+ | | | Option Value | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Version 1 Super Block No | | Degraded array No | | Spare Disk None | | | | Use spacebar to select an option to change. Select Create to finish. | | | | [Help] [Cancel] [Previous] [Create] | | | +------------------------------------------------------------------------+
- Create RAID1 array on sda2 and sdb2
- repeat the previous step
- Create LVM container 'main' on md/md1 and sda5
Actions » Create » container...
+----------------------- Create Storage Container -----------------------+ | | | Plug-in | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | | LVM Region Manager | | X LVM2 Region Manager | | | | Use the spacebar key to make selections and choose Next to continue | | | | [Help] [Cancel] [Next] | | | +------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+------------ Create Storage Container - Acceptable Objects -------------+ | | | Name Size | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | | X sda5 1.4 GB | | md/md0 94.0 MB | | X md/md1 1.9 GB | | | | Use the spacebar key to make selections and choose Next to continue | | | | [Help] [Cancel] [Previous] [Next] | | | +------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+----------- Create Storage Container - Configuration Options -----------+ | | | Option Value | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Name for the new LVM2 container. main | | Extent-size for the new LVM2 container. 32.0 MB | | | | Use spacebar to select an option to change. Select Create to finish. | | | | [Help] [Cancel] [Previous] [Create] | | | +------------------------------------------------------------------------+
- Create LVM region 'root' on 'lvm2/main/Freespace', mapping to object md/md1
Actions » Create » Region...
+------------------------ Create Storage Region -------------------------+ | | | Region Manager | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | | X LVM2 Region Manager | | MD Linear Raid Region Manager | | MD Raid 1 Region Manager | | MD RAID0 Region Manager | | | | Use the spacebar key to make selections and choose Next to continue | | | | [Help] [Cancel] [Next] | | | +------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+-------------- Create Storage Region - Acceptable Objects --------------+ | | | Name Size | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | | X lvm2/main/Freespace 3.3 GB | | | | Use the spacebar key to make selections and choose Next to continue | | | | [Help] [Cancel] [Previous] [Next] | | | +------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+------------ Create Storage Region - Configuration Options -------------+ | | | Option Value | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Name for the new LVM2 region. root | | Size for the new LVM2 region. 1.0 GB | | Number of stripes for the new LVM2 region. 1 | | Objects (PVs) to place the new LVM2 region on. md/md1 | | | | Use spacebar to select an option to change. Select Create to finish. | | | | [Help] [Cancel] [Previous] [Create] | | | +------------------------------------------------------------------------+
- Create LVM region 'home' on 'lvm2/main/Freespace', mapping to object md/md1
- Only the last step is different. If you choose Object 'md/md1' the size is automaticly adjusted.
+------------ Create Storage Region - Configuration Options -------------+ | | | Option Value | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Name for the new LVM2 region. home | | Size for the new LVM2 region. 928.0 MB | | Number of stripes for the new LVM2 region. 1 | | Objects (PVs) to place the new LVM2 region on. md/md1 | | | | Use spacebar to select an option to change. Select Create to finish. | | | | [Help] [Cancel] [Previous] [Create] | | | +------------------------------------------------------------------------+
- Create LVM region 'var' on 'lvm2/main/Freespace'
- Choosing an object is not necessary
+------------ Create Storage Region - Configuration Options -------------+ | | | Option Value | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Name for the new LVM2 region. var | | Size for the new LVM2 region. 1.4 GB | | Number of stripes for the new LVM2 region. 1 | | Objects (PVs) to place the new LVM2 region on. | | | | Use spacebar to select an option to change. Select Create to finish. | | | | [Help] [Cancel] [Previous] [Create] | | | +------------------------------------------------------------------------+
- Create EVMS-volumes on md/md0, lvm2/main/root, lvm2/main/home and lvm2/main/var
Actions » Create » EVMS Volume...
+-------------------------- Create EVMS Volume --------------------------+ | | | Storage Object Size | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | | lvm2/main/home 928.0 MB | | lvm2/main/root 1.0 GB | | lvm2/main/var 1.4 GB | | X md/md0 94.0 MB | | | | Use the spacebar key to make selections and choose Create to continue | | | | [Help] [Cancel] [Create] | | | +------------------------------------------------------------------------+
- This is the new situation:
Actions Settings Help 0=Logical Volumes Name Size Modified Active R/O Plug-in Mountpoint ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ /dev/evms/boot 94.0 MB X /dev/evms/home 928.0 MB X /dev/evms/root 1024.0 MB X /dev/evms/sda6 619.7 MB X Ext2/3 / /dev/evms/var 1.4 GB X
- Save
Actions » Save...
- Quit
Actions » Quit
Edit /etc/evms.conf:
lvm2 {
# Should the LVM2 plugin prompt you for confirmation when it finds
# LVM2 metadata on an object, but the object does not pass the
# necessary size checks? If yes, it will ask you if the object is
# really an LVM2 PV. If no, it will assume the object is not a PV.
#
# If you have used EVMS to create an LVM2 container on top of an
# MD Software-RAID region, you'll most likely want to set this
# parameter to no.
#
# The default is yes.
- device_size_prompt = yes
+ device_size_prompt = no
}
Copy the installation to the right volumes
Make filesystems on the new volumes:
# mkfs.ext3 /dev/evms/root # mkfs.ext3 /dev/evms/boot # mkfs.ext3 /dev/evms/home # mkfs.ext3 /dev/evms/var
Mount the volumes under /new:
# mkdir /new # mount /dev/evms/root /new # mkdir /new/boot /new/home /new/var # mount /dev/evms/boot /new/boot # mount /dev/evms/home /new/home # mount /dev/evms/var /new/var
Go to single-user mode:
# telinit 1
Copy the system to the new volumes:
# cd / # ls | grep -vE "dev|proc|sys|new" | xargs cp -a -t /new # mkdir /new/dev /new/proc /new/sys # cp -a /dev/console /dev/zero /dev/null /new/dev
Edit /new/etc/fstab
- /dev/evms/sda6 / ext3 defaults 0 1 + /dev/evms/root / ext3 defaults 0 1 + /dev/evms/boot /boot ext3 defaults,noauto 0 2 + /dev/evms/home /home ext3 defaults 0 2 + /dev/evms/var /var ext3 defaults 0 2
If /boot is on a separate volume, make a symlink to itself:
# cd /new/boot # ln -s . boot
Add an entry to /new/boot/grub/menu.lst:
# (0) Arch Linux EVMS title Arch Linux EVMS root (hd0,0) kernel /boot/vmlinuz-linux root=/dev/evms/root ro quiet initrd /boot/initramfs-linux.img
Reinstall GRUB on both disks:
# grub grub> root (hd0,0) grub> setup (hd0) grub> device (hd0) /dev/sdb grub> root (hd0,0) grub> setup (hd0) grub> quit
Find a new life for /dev/evms/sda6