ZFS root on ZFS in partition - activate boot environments

elgrande · Jul 31, 2025

Hi all,

I have a FreeBSD installation in a partition on my laptop (besides Windows 11).
The system just runs in a single ZFS pool:

Code:

root@elfreebsdo1:~ # zpool list
NAME   SIZE  ALLOC   FREE  CKPOINT  EXPANDSZ   FRAG    CAP  DEDUP    HEALTH  ALTROOT
root   816G   109G   707G        -         -    10%    13%  1.00x    ONLINE  -

While having some problems, I noticed that I cannot make use of boot environments:

Code:

root@elfreebsdo1:~ # bectl list
libbe_init("") failed.

Is there any non-destructive operation, how I can enable boot environments in my system?

fmc000 · Jul 31, 2025

Can you please post the output of:

Code:

ldd /sbin/bectl
ldd /lib/libbe.so.1

elgrande · Jul 31, 2025

fmc000 said:
Can you please post the output of:

Code:

ldd /sbin/bectl ldd /lib/libbe.so.1

Code:

root@elfreebsdo1:~ # ldd /sbin/bectl
/sbin/bectl:
    libbe.so.1 => /lib/libbe.so.1 (0x17ebc664b000)
    libjail.so.1 => /lib/libjail.so.1 (0x17ebc844f000)
    libnvpair.so.2 => /lib/libnvpair.so.2 (0x17ebc783e000)
    libspl.so.2 => /lib/libspl.so.2 (0x17ebc99c4000)
    libutil.so.9 => /lib/libutil.so.9 (0x17ebc87c6000)
    libzfsbootenv.so.1 => /lib/libzfsbootenv.so.1 (0x17ebc918e000)
    libc.so.7 => /lib/libc.so.7 (0x17ebcbaa1000)
    libzfs.so.4 => /lib/libzfs.so.4 (0x17ebc9ca6000)
    libavl.so.2 => /lib/libavl.so.2 (0x17ebca1b6000)
    libbsdxml.so.4 => /lib/libbsdxml.so.4 (0x17ebca4d5000)
    libcrypto.so.30 => /lib/libcrypto.so.30 (0x17ebca7f2000)
    libgeom.so.5 => /lib/libgeom.so.5 (0x17ebcd3ac000)
    libm.so.5 => /lib/libm.so.5 (0x17ebcc3af000)
    libmd.so.6 => /lib/libmd.so.6 (0x17ebcde34000)
    librt.so.1 => /lib/librt.so.1 (0x17ebce57a000)
    libumem.so.2 => /lib/libumem.so.2 (0x17ebce882000)
    libuutil.so.2 => /lib/libuutil.so.2 (0x17ebcf7d5000)
    libz.so.6 => /lib/libz.so.6 (0x17ebd0633000)
    libzfs_core.so.2 => /lib/libzfs_core.so.2 (0x17ebd2386000)
    libzutil.so.2 => /lib/libzutil.so.2 (0x17ebd15ef000)
    libthr.so.3 => /lib/libthr.so.3 (0x17ebd3d39000)
    libsbuf.so.6 => /lib/libsbuf.so.6 (0x17ebd27a6000)
    libtpool.so.2 => /lib/libtpool.so.2 (0x17ebd3184000)
    [vdso] (0x17ebc5b19000)
root@elfreebsdo1:~ # ldd /lib/libbe.so.1
/lib/libbe.so.1:
    libzfs.so.4 => /lib/libzfs.so.4 (0x192f14493000)
    libnvpair.so.2 => /lib/libnvpair.so.2 (0x192f156c1000)
    libspl.so.2 => /lib/libspl.so.2 (0x192f16df8000)
    libzfsbootenv.so.1 => /lib/libzfsbootenv.so.1 (0x192f16020000)
    libc.so.7 => /lib/libc.so.7 (0x192f15277000)
    libavl.so.2 => /lib/libavl.so.2 (0x192f16ffc000)
    libbsdxml.so.4 => /lib/libbsdxml.so.4 (0x192f172c6000)
    libcrypto.so.30 => /lib/libcrypto.so.30 (0x192f1856e000)
    libgeom.so.5 => /lib/libgeom.so.5 (0x192f180cc000)
    libm.so.5 => /lib/libm.so.5 (0x192f18b07000)
    libmd.so.6 => /lib/libmd.so.6 (0x192f1980c000)
    librt.so.1 => /lib/librt.so.1 (0x192f19c2d000)
    libumem.so.2 => /lib/libumem.so.2 (0x192f1aa66000)
    libutil.so.9 => /lib/libutil.so.9 (0x192f1aea6000)
    libuutil.so.2 => /lib/libuutil.so.2 (0x192f1be74000)
    libz.so.6 => /lib/libz.so.6 (0x192f1d294000)
    libzfs_core.so.2 => /lib/libzfs_core.so.2 (0x192f1c208000)
    libzutil.so.2 => /lib/libzutil.so.2 (0x192f1d1a4000)
    libthr.so.3 => /lib/libthr.so.3 (0x192f1e317000)
    libsbuf.so.6 => /lib/libsbuf.so.6 (0x192f1d94b000)
    libtpool.so.2 => /lib/libtpool.so.2 (0x192f1f72d000)
root@elfreebsdo1:~ #

fmc000 · Jul 31, 2025

OK, sorry, I see no problems here, I cannot help you further.

nxjoseph · Jul 31, 2025

I think that you have not a default ZFS dataset layout so that you can't use bectl tool, can you post ZFS list cmd output? Did you made ZFS configuration on your own rather than letting the installer to do it?

elgrande · Jul 31, 2025

nxjoseph said:
I think that you have not a default ZFS dataset layout so that you can't use bectl tool, can you post ZFS list cmd output?

Code:

root@elfreebsdo1:~ # zfs list
NAME                             USED  AVAIL  REFER  MOUNTPOINT
root                             108G   682G   105G  /mnt
root/poudriere                  1.95G   682G    24K  /mnt/poudriere
root/poudriere/data              180M   682G    29K  /usr/local/poudriere/data
root/poudriere/data/.m            24K   682G    24K  /usr/local/poudriere/data/.m
root/poudriere/data/cache        190K   682G   190K  /usr/local/poudriere/data/cache
root/poudriere/data/images        24K   682G    24K  /usr/local/poudriere/data/images
root/poudriere/data/logs        3.37M   682G  3.37M  /usr/local/poudriere/data/logs
root/poudriere/data/packages     177M   682G   177M  /usr/local/poudriere/data/packages
root/poudriere/data/wrkdirs       24K   682G    24K  /usr/local/poudriere/data/wrkdirs
root/poudriere/jails            1.44G   682G    24K  /mnt/poudriere/jails
root/poudriere/jails/141Ramd64  1.44G   682G  1.44G  /usr/local/poudriere/jails/141Ramd64
root/poudriere/ports             337M   682G    24K  /mnt/poudriere/ports
root/poudriere/ports/default     337M   682G   337M  /usr/local/poudriere/ports/default
root/vm                         1.70G   682G  1.70G  /mnt/vm
root/vm/aerynos                   28K   682G    28K  /mnt/vm/aerynos
root@elfreebsdo1:~ #

nxjoseph · Jul 31, 2025

elgrande said:

Code:

root@elfreebsdo1:~ # zfs list
NAME                             USED  AVAIL  REFER  MOUNTPOINT
root                             108G   682G   105G  /mnt
root/poudriere                  1.95G   682G    24K  /mnt/poudriere
root/poudriere/data              180M   682G    29K  /usr/local/poudriere/data
root/poudriere/data/.m            24K   682G    24K  /usr/local/poudriere/data/.m
root/poudriere/data/cache        190K   682G   190K  /usr/local/poudriere/data/cache
root/poudriere/data/images        24K   682G    24K  /usr/local/poudriere/data/images
root/poudriere/data/logs        3.37M   682G  3.37M  /usr/local/poudriere/data/logs
root/poudriere/data/packages     177M   682G   177M  /usr/local/poudriere/data/packages
root/poudriere/data/wrkdirs       24K   682G    24K  /usr/local/poudriere/data/wrkdirs
root/poudriere/jails            1.44G   682G    24K  /mnt/poudriere/jails
root/poudriere/jails/141Ramd64  1.44G   682G  1.44G  /usr/local/poudriere/jails/141Ramd64
root/poudriere/ports             337M   682G    24K  /mnt/poudriere/ports
root/poudriere/ports/default     337M   682G   337M  /usr/local/poudriere/ports/default
root/vm                         1.70G   682G  1.70G  /mnt/vm
root/vm/aerynos                   28K   682G    28K  /mnt/vm/aerynos
root@elfreebsdo1:~ #

Yeah, like what I thought. You need at least something like that for your root dataset, but search about it in the forums, there are may be solutions for you because I must have read a issue like this on the forums before. That's why I thought like this.

Like you need something like:
zroot/ROOT/default for / mount point.

elgrande · Jul 31, 2025

nxjoseph said:
Yeah, like what I thought. You need at least something like that for your root dataset, but search about it in the forums, there are may be solutions for you because I must have read a issue like this on the forums before. That's why I thought like this.

Like you need something like:
zroot/ROOT/default for / mount point.

I fear, I'd need to reinstall from scratch to fix the layout?

nxjoseph · Jul 31, 2025

elgrande said:
I fear, I'd need to reinstall from scratch to fix the layout?

I think that you could rename some datasets to fix that in single user mode. I don't actually remember what was the solution.

nxjoseph · Jul 31, 2025

Here you go mate, I found the original thread.

A

Solved Thread 'bectl commands fail'

Nov 17, 2024

I'm a new freeBSD user trying commands listed here - https://klarasystems.com/articles/managing-boot-environments/

I get an error when trying any bectl] command

Code:

# bectl list
libbe_init("") failed.

I am using ZFS. Any suggestions on troubleshooting ?

elgrande · Jul 31, 2025

nxjoseph said:
Here you go mate, I found the original thread.

A

Solved Thread 'bectl commands fail'

Nov 17, 2024

I'm a new freeBSD user trying commands listed here - https://klarasystems.com/articles/managing-boot-environments/

I get an error when trying any bectl] command

Code:

# bectl list libbe_init("") failed.

I am using ZFS. Any suggestions on troubleshooting ?

aji_pineapple

Replies: 25

Forum: Storage

Thanks a lot!
At a first glance it looks as if I'd need to backup and perform a manual installation creating the correct pool layout.
Maybe I gonna dig into this.

nxjoseph · Jul 31, 2025

elgrande said:
Thanks a lot!
At a first glance it looks as if I'd need to backup and perform a manual installation creating the correct pool layout.
Maybe I gonna dig into this.

I'd recommend you to try this first. Otherwise you can do the reinstall with backupped snapshot way.

Solved Post in thread 'bectl commands fail'

Nov 19, 2024

aji_pineapple said:
thanks for all the replies. Do I have any options besides a reinstall ? any option to copy files or zfs send receive instead ?

btw I used the installer but not didn't use auto partitions since this is a laptop which is dual booting windows.

After making a backup ...

Do this works? (probably not but worth a try ...)

Code:

# zfs create root/ROOT
# zfs rename -u root root/ROOT/default

Other way to try:

Code:

# zfs snapshot root@default
# zfs create root/ROOT
# zfs send root@default | zfs recv root/ROOT/default