Re: NetBSD/Xen prompting for root filesystem although provided in boot.cfg

[Manuel Bouyer <bouyer%antioche.eu.org@localhost>]

On Mon, Dec 21, 2020 at 04:31:27AM +0100, Matthias Petermann wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> I am trying to multiboot my NetBSD 9.1/Xen 4.13 system with Xen and causes
> me some headache :-( It seems like the root file system is not automatically
> mounted. From the setup side, the root filesystem is located in a disklabel,
> which in turn is located on a RAIDFrame device, which consists of two
> components, each consisting of a GPT partition on two physical disks.
> 
> In my boot.cfg I have:
> 
> ```
> menu=Boot Xen:load /netbsd-XEN3_DOM0.gz bootdev=raid0a;multiboot /xen.gz
> dom0_mem=512M dom0_max_vcpus=1 dom0_vcpus_pin console=com2 com2=9600,8n1
> ```
> 
> but for some reason the Kernel still prompts for the root device, the dump
> device, file system and later for the init location. Anyway, the provided
> defaults are correct and could be used right away. Thats why it needs
> currently manual intervention on every boot:
> 
> ```
> [   3.3500231] raid0: RAID Level 1
> [   3.3500231] raid0: Components: /dev/dk0 /dev/dk1
> [   3.3500231] raid0: Total Sectors: 234434432 (114469 MB)
> [   3.3500231] WARNING: 1 error while detecting hardware; check system log.
> [   3.3500231] boot device: raid0
> [   3.3500231] unknown device major 0xffffffffffffffff
> [   3.3500231] root device (default raid0a):
> [   3.4089966] dump device (default raid0b):
> [   3.9617492] file system (default generic):
> ...
> ```
> 
> In the case above it is sufficient to take over the defaults by simply
> pressing the enter key. The system will boot without any problem after this.
> But of course, the manual intervention is inappropriate for a production
> system.
> 
> I did some further experiments and found out when I omit the bootdev
> parameter in boot.cfg, dk0 is offered as the default for the root device.
> dk0 is the GPT partition of one of the raid frame components on which the
> root file system is based. Logically this doesn't qualify as a valid root
> filesystem and fails booting.
> 
> So the bootdev parameter already seems to have some effect - namely to set
> the defaults accordingly. I am just wondering why I am still being asked,
> although everything is actually known...
> 
> From what I've seen, it reminds me a bit of my similar topic from August
> 2018[1].
> 
> Can anyone give me a hint as to what I am doing wrong?

Did you set '-A root' on the raid0 ?

-- 
Manuel Bouyer <bouyer%antioche.eu.org@localhost>
     NetBSD: 26 ans d'experience feront toujours la difference
--