Re: new pc and swap

[Mark Fletcher <mark27q1@gmail.com>]

On Mon, Oct 31, 2016 at 07:53:31PM +0100, Pascal Hambourg wrote:
> Le 31/10/2016 à 14:54, Stefan Monnier a écrit :
> >
> >Of course, it's possible.  But if you setup a system from scratch I'd
> >highly recommend you put "everything" into an LVM volume group so you
> >can then use an LVM volume for swap rather than a file (but with the
> >same advantages as using a file: it's easy to resize/create on-demand
> >at run-time).
> 
> I second that suggestion.
> (am I an LVM fanboy ? Hmm, maybe)
> 
> >PS: I put "everything" between quotes because I'm not sure I'd recommend
> >    to also put /boot in an LVM volume.  IIUC it can be made to work
> >    nowadays, but my systems still use a two-partition setup: one small
> >    partition for /boot, and the rest for LVM.
> 
> GRUB 2 can read LVM, so it can boot a system with /boot in LVM. I have used
> this kind of setup. The advantage is that you don't need a separate
> partition for /boot and that it provides all the benefits of LVM to /boot. I
> don't know about LILO nor any other bootloader.
> 
> However, if the LVM structure gets corrupted and GRUB cannot read it, then
> the boot process will fail before the boot menu. If /boot is on a separate
> partition which can be read, then the boot will fail only after loading and
> running the kernel and the initramfs. So the initramfs debug shell is still
> available to investigate and try to repair the issue without requiring to
> boot another system.
> 
> Also, with BIOS/legacy boot, putting /boot in LVM requires that GRUB's core
> image (boot sector) is installed in the disk boot sector (aka MBR, not in a
> partition boot sector) and GRUB's core image is installed in the "embedded
> area" on a DOS-style disk or in a dedicated "BIOS boot"/bios_grub partition
> on a GPT-style disk (not as a regular file in /boot/grub).
> 
 This subthread (this mail and all the ones that led to it) have been 
most enlightening. Please ignore my previous mail asking for 
clarification -- should have read this subthread before replying.

Mark