sudo generate-zbm fails

[sotiris-bos]

Hello, I am on Arch 6.6.2-arch1-1 using dracut.

I am trying to run generate-zbm but it fails with:

No initramfs generator specified; using dracut
Creating ZFSBootMenu 2.2.2 from kernel /boot/vmlinuz-linux
dracut: dracut module 'dbus-daemon' depends on 'systemd', which can't be installed
dracut: dracut module 'dbus' depends on 'dbus-daemon', which can't be installed
dracut: dracut module 'network-manager' depends on 'dbus', which can't be installed
dracut: dracut module 'network' depends on 'network-manager', which can't be installed
dracut: dracut module 'crypt-ssh' depends on 'network', which can't be installed
dracut: dracut module 'cifs' depends on 'network', which can't be installed
dracut: dracut module 'iscsi' depends on 'network', which can't be installed
dracut: dracut module 'nfs' depends on 'network', which can't be installed
dracut: dracut module 'crypt-ssh' cannot be found or installed.
Failed to create /tmp/ZCxVgMeAPf/zfsbootmenu.img

Here are the relevant config files:

cat /etc/zfsbootmenu/dracut.conf.d/zfsbootmenu.conf 
nofsck="yes"
add_dracutmodules+=" zfsbootmenu "
omit_dracutmodules+=" btrfs zfs resume systemd systemd-initrd dracut-systemd plymouth dash "

cat /etc/zfsbootmenu/config.yaml 
Global:
  ManageImages: true
  BootMountPoint: /efi
  DracutConfDir: /etc/zfsbootmenu/dracut.conf.d
  PreHooksDir: /etc/zfsbootmenu/generate-zbm.pre.d
  PostHooksDir: /etc/zfsbootmenu/generate-zbm.post.d
#  InitCPIOConfig: /etc/zfsbootmenu/mkinitcpio.conf
Components:
  ImageDir: /efi/EFI/zbm
  Versions: 3
  Enabled: true
  syslinux:
    Config: /boot/syslinux/syslinux.cfg
    Enabled: false
EFI:
  ImageDir: /efi/EFI/zbm
  Versions: false
  Enabled: true
Kernel:
  CommandLine: ro quiet loglevel=0

[ahesford]

There's more to this story, because it's trying to install crypt-ssh. Are you using Dracut as your regular initramfs generator, and are you using crypt-ssh there?

Generally, I'd recommend using mkinitcpio with ZFSBootMenu on Arch; however, it is certainly acceptable to use Dracut if you prefer.

[ahesford]

As an aside, if you actually want networking in your Dracut ZBM image, you'll need to force the "legacy" network module; I think all of the others require systemd in the initramfs. The ZFSBootMenu dracut module explicitly blacklists systemd in dracut because the two are incompatible.

[sotiris-bos]

I forced the "legacy" network module (network-legacy) and it succeeded, but the dropbear bin file does not get added to /usr/bin/dropbear. No dracut errors after I run generate-zbm.

[ahesford]

You haven't described the parts of your configuration related to dracut-crypt-ssh, so I can't comment on why dropbear wouldn't be installed.

[sotiris-bos]

The dedicated host key creation procedure on the zbm documentation page was not working for me, hence dropbear was not being included in the initramfs.

I had to follow the instructions at the dracut-crypt-SSH page: https://github.com/dracut-crypt-ssh/dracut-crypt-ssh#41-generating-keys-for-dracut-crypt-ssh-recommended changing the locations to reflect that of the zbm instructions. I finally managed to get my custom zbm image working with network connectivity enabled.

The dropbear error was not being shown with generate-zbm. I had to add the debug flag. The error was something along the lines that dropbear could not find the key.pub files, line 78 of https://github.com/dracut-crypt-ssh/dracut-crypt-ssh/blob/master/modules/60crypt-ssh/module-setup.sh

This failure to show the error without - d should probably be filed as a bug.

[ahesford]

If you're going to file a bug, file it with dracut.

Your first attempt shows that generate-zbm dumps error output when dracut fails. As you noted, generate-zbm produced an image after you fixed the networking configuration, which means dracut indicated a successful run. The dracut-crypt-ssh module throws errors and quits when it can't find things it needs. This suggests that dracut itself is eating the module errors.

[arichiardi]

I am on the same boat @sotiris-bos - can you please paste your zfsbootmenu.conf and relevant conf please?

I added force_add_dracutmodules+=" network-legacy " here but it did not solve the issue:

reating ZFSBootMenu 2.3.0 from kernel /boot/vmlinuz-linux-lts
dracut: dracut module 'dbus-broker' depends on 'systemd', which can't be installed
dracut: dracut module 'dbus' depends on 'dbus-broker', which can't be installed
dracut: dracut module 'systemd-networkd' depends on 'dbus', which can't be installed
dracut: dracut module 'network' depends on 'systemd-networkd', which can't be installed
dracut: dracut module 'crypt-ssh' depends on 'network', which can't be installed
dracut: dracut module 'crypt-ssh' cannot be found or installed.