Other access to linux raid-0 array?

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I've looked at graid and geom and there seems to be ZERO information on the format of the metadata and whether it is compatible with the linux software raid implementation.

Are the software raid implementations compatible between linux and freeBSD? If so, what management tool in freeBSD to import a linux created raid-0 array?
 
I have no personal experience with this but even so I am quite convinced that the two are not compatible. Basically this is not that much different when relying on hardware raid. Many vendors use their own format in order to set it all up. So the moment you attach your disks onto another controller then you'll be out of luck.

The other reason why I think in this direction is simple deduction: the whole Linux software raid is most likely set up and released under the GPL. Which rules FreeBSD support out because the GPL doesn't allow other open source licenses to co-exist next to GPL licensed projects, one of the reasons FreeBSD has been busy getting rid of plenty GPL licensed code (note: I'm referring to the FreeBSD base system, not the ports collection of course).

So yeah, I don't think this is going to work. But... as mentioned: I don't have hands on experience here.
 
What are you trying to accomplish?

Import an existing RAID array once? Then maybe temporarily install Linux, copy it to a common-format disk (could be as simple as non-RAIDed ext2), and then install FreeBSD and copy it back. Or run Linux inside a VM from within FreeBSD.

Long-term share the data between the two, with booting alternating operating systems? Then you need a RAID system with compatible on-disk format, like ZFS. And if you want concurrent access from both operating systems, the least bad option would be to move these disks to a file server that runs Linux, and everyone else accesses the data over NFS or such. That NFS server could be running in a VM (if you don't care about ultimate performance).
 
ralphbsz said:
What are you trying to accomplish?

Import an existing RAID array once? Then maybe temporarily install Linux, copy it to a common-format disk (could be as simple as non-RAIDed ext2), and then install FreeBSD and copy it back. Or run Linux inside a VM from within FreeBSD.

Long-term share the data between the two, with booting alternating operating systems? Then you need a RAID system with compatible on-disk format, like ZFS. And if you want concurrent access from both operating systems, the least bad option would be to move these disks to a file server that runs Linux, and everyone else accesses the data over NFS or such. That NFS server could be running in a VM (if you don't care about ultimate performance).
Click to expand...

Way more complication than I'm willing to absorb for migrating a linux striped array. I already got my answer: software metadisk raid formats are NOT COMPATIBLE between linux and bsd. And we're talking about a non-trivial amount of data so full array copies are not my first choice. Unfortunately I'm noting too many deficiencies in software capabilities and lack of hardware support to continue with my BSD migration project....but God, I hate what Linux has become! :^(
 
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