Labelling existing partitions with glabel

M

mahashakti89

Hi,

I am using FreeBSD 9.2-RC2 with two partitions , one for root and one for swap. I tried to label both partitions with glabel using the method described in the manual, rebooted in single-user mode, labelled root with glabel label FreeBSD /dev/ada0p2 and the same technique for swap. I did ls -l /dev/label to verify that both labels exist. It was O.K. but after doing a normal reboot, the /dev/label/ directory has disappeared... and the labels also!

I searched why but found no real clue... how to solve this "mystery".

Any help will be welcome.

mahashakti89

PS: geom_label.ko and geom_bsd.ko are present in the GENERIC kernel configuration and loaded at boot via loader.conf.
 
First: don't use generic labels with GPT partitions. It is not necessary and only complicates the setup. Instead, use GPT labels with gpart(8):
# gpart modify -i2 -l ezfreebsdfs ada0
# gpart modify -i3 -l ezswap ada0

These labels will appear in /dev/gpt/.

Second: use unique names for labels. Add a couple of letters to the beginning or end of the name to help identify that particular partition uniquely.

As to labels "disappearing", the GEOM system hides labels when a that device is in use (mounted).
 
Thanks for your answer.

I used the described method. I rebooted in single-user mode and created the two labels. I got a success message. After that the labels were present in /dev/gpt but disappeared after reboot. What did I do wrong?

Regards.
 
Boot in single user mode, set the labels, and then reboot. If you boot directly into multi-user mode after setting the labels, they will be overwritten.
 
wblock@ said:
Boot in single user mode, set the labels, and then reboot. If you boot directly into multi-user mode after setting the labels, they will be overwritten.
Click to expand...

I had already done this but same problem. I did another verification, rebooted in single-user mode, the labels are present, rebooted again and they had disappeared.

Regards.
 
Please show the output of gpart show -l after booting. Remember that GEOM may hide the labels (not show them in /dev/gpt/) if they have been used to mount the partition.
 
wblock@ said:
Please show the output of gpart show -l after booting. Remember that GEOM may hide the labels (not show them in /dev/gpt/) if they have been used to mount the partition.
Click to expand...

Code: 
gpart show -l
                     [root@ishwara /usr/home/claude]# gpart show -l
=>        34  1953525101  ada0  GPT  (931G)
          34         128     1  freebsd-boot  (64k)
         162   266338176     2  freebsd  (127G)
   266338338     8390622     7  freebsdswap  (4.0G)
   274728960   247515136     3  (null)  (118G)
   522244096   167936000     4  Kali  (80G)
   690180096   256000000     5  (null)  (122G)
   946180096     8388608     6  (null)  (4.0G)
   954568704   998956431        - free -  (476G)

I forgot the couple of letters at the beginning, the other partitions are Linux partitions. Is that crucial or only a memory help ?

I have nothing more in /dev/ufs or /dev/label. I destroyed the labels created by glabel doing glabel destroy freebsd.

Same technique for freebsdswap.

Regards.
 
wblock@ said:
See post #2 about the letters. Please show the output of mount.
Click to expand...

Code: 
mount 
/dev/ada0p2 on / (ufs, local, journaled soft-updates)                                                                                                                                                                                         
devfs on /dev (devfs, local, multilabel)                                                                                                                                                                                                        
/dev/md0 on /tmp (ufs,local)                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
linprocfs on /compat/linux/proc (linprocfs, local)

Regards.
 
This still looks like GEOM hiding the labels. Boot into single user mode and try to mount the filesystem with the GPT label:
# mount -u /dev/gpt/freebsd /
 
wblock@ said:
This still looks like GEOM hiding the labels. Boot into single user mode and try to mount the filesystem with the GPT label:
# mount -u /dev/gpt/freebsd /
Click to expand...

I rebooted in single user mode, did # mount -u /dev/gpt/freebsd / but I got the following answer:
Code: 
/dev/gpt/freebsd : No such file or directory

I did
  1. # ls -l /dev/gpt, there was no /dev/gpt/freebsd at all.
  2. # gpart show -l ada0. The labels are present.
Then I rebooted one more time in single user mode, did operations 1 and 2 . It seemed O.K. But as I did # mount -u /dev/gpt/freebsd / I got the same answer
Code: 
No such file or directory

Regards.
 
wblock@ said:
The vague wording has me confused. It's not clear whether the labels ever appeared in /dev/gpt/.
Click to expand...

The first time I rebooted in single user mode to do as you requested: # mount -u /dev/gpt/freebsd / the only label present in /dev/gpt was that for the swap partition. I didn't understand. Did another reboot in single user mode, both labels were present in /dev/gpt, that for the root partition and the other for swap but as I said I couldn't mount /dev/gpt/freebsd.
Code: 
"/dev/gpt/freebsd :No such file or directory"

Regards
 
This still looks like it's because GEOM is preventing access to the labels because it's already mounted. Change /etc/fstab to use the GPT labels, then reboot.
 
The worst that will happen is it will not find the device when booting. Then you would have to enter the boot device by hand.
 
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