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Installing root on LVM + RAID with debian-installer

This document explains how to set up Debian GNU/Linux on a computer with your root partition on a RAID volume managed with LVM. The procedure assumes that you have 2 indentical hard disks on your computer. Some screens of the Debian ETCH installer are different from before and key entries for older versions are market as "old".

Run the ETCH Debian installer for linux26 and when reaching the main screen "Partitioning disks" and select the "Manual" option. Read carefully all the options offered on the next screen and notice the table of disk section which should show the two hard disks which you intend to use in RAID mode

For IDE disks you should see:

IDE1 (hda)
IDE2 (hdc)

alternatively for SCSI or S-ATA disks you should see:

SCSI1 (0,0,0) (sda)
SCSI2 (0,0,0) (sdb)

If you do not see theses disks then check your BIOS and cables settings and restart the Debian-installer.

Create the physical volumes for RAID

From the screen "[!!] Partition disks" in the "Table of disks"

Select the disk: IDE1 (hda) or SCSI1 (sda) as appropriate
Create new empty partition table on this device = {Yes}
Select the line "FREE SPACE" just under the IDE1 disk
Create a new partition (which will be used for booting) size = 512M
Type for the new partition = Primary
Location for the new partition = Begining
Partition setting: Use as = physical volume for RAID
Done setting up the partition

Now Select the line "FREE SPACE" just under the newly created partition:

Create a new partition size = enter here the free space value minus 2% or the disk size
Type for the new partition = Primary
Partition setting: Use as = physical volume for RAID
Done setting up the partition

Repeat the above procedure for the second disk IDE2 (hdc)or SCSI2 (sdb) as appropriate.

Check that both disk have identical partitions and the free space left is about 2% of the disk size, this is important to be able to later install replacement disks which are of identical size to the original disks but may not have the same number of heads and cylinders. If not you can re-select and correct the disk with the wrong partition.

Configure software RAID

From the screen "[!!] Partition disks" select: Configure software RAID

"Write the changes to the storage devices and configure RAID select: {yes}

"This is the multidisk (MD) and software RAID configuration menu" select:

Create MD device
Multidisk device type = RAID 1
Number of active devices for the RAID1 array = 2
Number of spare devices for the RAID1 array = 0

"Active devices for the RAID1 multidisk device" select from the Table of disks list the two devices ending with "1" like below

[*] /dev/.../.../part1 or [*] /dev/sda1 for SCSI disks
[*] /dev/.../.../part1 or [*] /dev/sdb1 for SCSI disks
Select {Continue}

"Multidisk configuration actions" select:

Create MD device
Multidisk device type = RAID1
Number of active devices for the RAID1 array = 2
Number of spare devices for the RAID1 array = 0

"Active devices for the RAID1 multidisk device" select this time from the list the two devices ending with "2" like below:

[*] /dev/.../.../part2 or [*] /dev/sda2 for SCSI disks
[*] /dev/.../.../part2 or [*] /dev/sdb2 for SCSI disks
Select {Continue}
"Multidisk configuration action" = {Finish}

This sets up the RAID1 and the partition disk screen will now show in the "Table of disks" two RAID1 devices #0 and #1.

Create the physical volumes for LVM

From the screen "[!!] Partition disks" in the "Table of disks"

Select #1 below the line RAID1 device #1 (it is normally the largest device)
Use as = Physical volume for LVM
Done setting up the partition

Configure LVM

From the screen "[!!] Partition disks":

Select "Configure the logical Volume Manager"
Write the changes to disks and configure LVM = {Yes}

LVM configuration action

"old" Modify volume groups (VG)
Create volume groups

Volume group name = vg00
Select [*] /dev/md/1 () then {Continue}

"old" Modify logical volumes (LV)
Create logical volumes

Volume group = vg00
Logical volume name = swap
Logical volume size = 3G (or at least twice the size of the RAM)

Create logical volumes

Logical volume name = root
Volume group = vg00
Logical volume size = 20G (or whatever you need)

Create logical volumes

Logical volume name = home
Volume group = vg00 (note how much space is left)
Logical volume size = leave the default value or use any value smaller than what is left free on the disk

Select {Finish}

Leave again to launch the partitioning and return to the main screen "Partition disks".

Create the partitions

In this phase you may encounter warning messages, ignore them and just hit {Continue}.

From the screen "[!!] Partition disks"

In the "Table of Disks" LVMVG vg00 LV root select: #1

Use as = Ext3 journaling file system
Mount point = / -the root file system
Done setting up the partition

In the "Table of Disks" LVMVG vg00, LV home select: #1

Use as = Ext3 journaling file system
Mount point = /home
Done setting up the partition

In the "Table of Disks" LVMVG vg00, LV swap select: #1

Use as = swap area
Done setting up the partition

In the "Table of Disks" RAID1 device #0 select: #1

Use as = Ext3 journaling file system
Mount point = /boot -static file of the boot loader
Done setting up the partition

To finish

From the screen "[!!] Partition disks" select "Finish partitioning and write changes to disk"

The screen will now give you a summary of what has been done and to the prompt "Write changes to disks?" answer {Yes}

You may now continue by first installing GRUB on the boot sector and proceed with the complete installation of Debian which will be written symmetrically on the two disks in RAID.

Enjoy Debian with the RAID set up for both boot and data such that even if one disk crashes you will be able to restore your configuration (do not forget to give to your new disk partitions identical to the old disk and to copy GRUB to the boot partition if necessary).