upgrading to F16 or F17 with /var and/or /usr on LVM volumes?

[Joel Rees]

Okay, it didn't work. Every way I tried activating the LVM volumes by
hand during the install process, the install process de-activated
them, unless I mounted them, and then it borked when it tried to
de-activate them.

(Let the bug catcher file a bug on it: bugzilla 834733.)

Thanks anyway, Mateusz.

On Sat, Jun 23, 2012 at 10:00 AM, Joel Rees <joel.rees at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Sat, Jun 23, 2012 at 6:55 AM, Mateusz Marzantowicz
> <mmarzantowicz at osdf.com.pl> wrote:
>> On 22.06.2012 19:29, Joel Rees wrote:
>>> On Thu, Jun 21, 2012 at 1:23 AM, Mateusz Marzantowicz
>>> <mmarzantowicz at osdf.com.pl> wrote:
>>>> On 20.06.2012 16:13, Joel Rees wrote:
>>>>> Tried preupgrade, but it can't find my old system, and kicks the
>>>>> upgrade process to the curb.
>>>>>
>>>>> Then I tried the netinstall CD and it can't find my old system, either.
>>>>>
>>>>> Looking around, I see a bit of discussion of problems with the install
>>>>> process recognizing  LVM partitions. Rescue mode boot of the
>>>>> netinstall CD appears to be unable to mount LVM partitions.
>>>>>
>>>>> Does anyone know of a work-around short of backing up /etc and /home
>>>>> and doing a fresh install?
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> Joel Rees
>>>> Fedora LiveCD should recognize partitions on LVM and RAID even with
>>>> encryption.
>>> And what good does that do me? Or is there a LiveCD that does upgrades?
>>
>> I'm not sure because I've installed my Fedora form netinstall cd but as
>> I remember there is an option to fresh install form Live CD (maybe an
>> upgrade is also available.)
>
> I couldn't find an upgrade option the last time I looked, but it was
> the security spin (F16), not the basic F16 Live CD. so maybe there's a
> difference.
>
>> But my original answer was to your need of
>> doing backup, so Live CD seemed to be perfect for this job.
>
> Well, checking my original post, I left off the detail that I can
> still boot in the old F15 system. But thanks, anyway.
>
>>> Well, the netinstall CD does have lvm command line tools on it.
>>>
>>> Right now I'm reading the device mapper commands. If I find the right
>>> commands to activate the logical partitions, I still need to know the
>>> name of the install command so I can re-start the install/upgrade
>>> process after dropping out to a shell. The command does not seem to be
>>> called "install", at any rate.
>>>
>>> (Can't remember whether I've done this on Fedora. Last time I did this
>>> kind of thing on openBSD, it was just "install" there, as I recall.)
>>
>> I'm really surprised that anaconda doesn't recognized your LVM
>> partitions. I had a problem with broken installation so I restarted it
>> (reboot) and I was able to partition my disk again (including LVM
>> changes etc.)
>
> I was also surprised. Booting the netinstall CD, I notice that there
> is an unnamed daemon that systemd can't get started, leaving a message
> on the top of the screen somewhere along the way to multiuser.
>
>> To see the command, start the installer (anaconda) by booting your
>> computer and then drop to shell and type in ps command. That should give
>> you the command to start anaconda again. You might also try to do what's
>> needed in parallel with the installer on that additional terminals.
>
> OH, YES!
>
> Now I remember using the virtual console during installs in the past.
> Let's see what that buys me.
>
> Found this with Google:
>
> http://docs.redhat.com/docs/en-US/Red_Hat_Enterprise_Linux/6/html/Logical_Volume_Manager_Administration/cluster_activation.html
>
> Elsewhere in there it mentions vgscan and lvscan, which give me the
> logical paths I need for the argument to lvchange -aly . And running
>
> lvchange -aly 'dev/<volumeLabel>' with the appropriate <volumeLabel>s
> gets my lvm volumes activated (confirmed with another quick lvscan).
>
> And, of course, since I'm there, "ps a" shows me that that the install
> program would appear to be anaconda (in /usr/sbin, where it should be)
> being interpreted by python (in /usr/bin, where it should be).
>
> And "ps wwaux gives me the full set of options, a bit hard to see
> through all the other processes. For me, that's
>
> /usr/bin/python /usr/bin/anaconda --graphical --selinux --lang
> ja_JP.UTF-8 --keymap jp106
>
> since I let it go graphical and told it I was working in Japanese and
> my keyboard is Japanese, etc.
>
> anaconda. Now I remember having to restart anaconda by hand before,
> too. Wish my memory were better.
>
>> [... my short rant about the works of Poettering ...]
>> No offense taken.
>
> Thanks.
>
> And thanks for reminding me about the virtual console being available
> during the dedicated install session. Let's see how it plays out.
>
> --
> Joel Rees



-- 
--
Joel Rees