ref: da93fd1812c354060a735336534ad244bd010d41
dir: /cwfs.md/
cwfs(4) tips ============ No-dump configuration --------------------- A cheap VPS or an SD card lack the storage capacity for running a usable default `cwfs(4)` setup with a big WORM partition and daily dumps. The go-to solution is the `hjfs(4)` file system, which doesn't use a dedicated WORM partition and doesn't do daily dumps by default. However, it has several performance problems and is not as well tested. The `cwfs` file system can be configured in lots of ways beyond the default cache-worm + other configuration supported by the 9front installer. The desired configuration we're going to cover is a single `main` file server tree backed by a simple disk file system - the same type used by the `other` tree in the default setup. To do this we're going to partition the disk appropriately and override the `mountcwfs` stage of the 9front installer with a replacement [script](http://a-b.xyz/23/666a) that will configure `cwfs` appropriately. The rest of the installation and most of the subsequent system operation remain unaffected. Start by booting from the installation media. Configure networking with `ip/ipconfig(8)` and fetch the replacement `mountcwfs` script, or put the script on a flash drive: webfs ramfs hget http://a-b.xyz/23/666a >/tmp/mountcwfs chmod +x /tmp/mountcwfs Override the `mountcwfs` stage using `bind(1)`: bind /tmp/mountcwfs /bin/inst/mountcwfs Run `inst/start` and complete the stages up to `preppart` as you would normally. At `preppart`, delete the default partitions and create one named `fsmain` with a desired size: d other d fscache d fsworm a fsmain 123456 .+100% w q Make sure to "ream" the new partition at the next step. Complete the rest of the installation, reboot. That is all. Adding A drive to the worm -------------------------- On long living installations or ones that hold a lot of larger files you may want to add a drive to WORM when it starts to fill up. First, format the disk, if you are adding to a current install you probably want one large `plan9` partition containing a single `fsworm` partition: disk/mbr -m /386/mbr /dev/sdD0/data # If your using gpt I can't help you here disk/fdisk -a /dev/sdD0/data # disk/edisk for gpt # this will partition all unpartitioned space as a plan9 partition, # if it looks correct type w to save and then q to quit disk/prep -a fsworm /dev/sdD0/plan9 # this will create an fsworm partition w and q if it looks correct Now reboot the computer and at bootargs start cwfs with -c to enter configuration console. At the console enter a new configuration which includes the newly created `fsworm` partition. Note that device names are likely to be different in your case. config: filsys main c(/dev/sdC0/fscache)((/dev/sdC0/fsworm)(/dev/sdD0/fsworm)) config: filsys dump o config: end After exiting the console the system should boot with the new partition added to the WORM. Run: con -C /srv/cwfs.cmd statw to confirm. `wsize * 16000` is the size of your WORM. No refunds CWFS with WORM on a separate drive ---------------------------------- ### What you do is what you get These instructions assume you want to set up CWFS on two drives - one containing the cache filesystem, and the other containing the WORM. This process has been tested on MBR installations, but should be extrapolable to GPT as well with minor changes (see end note if using GPT, please report the results). ### Initialize the disks For this example `sd00` will be the cache drive, `sd01` will be the WORM. Assuming your drives are new, for a MBR partitioning scheme, you want to first create a MBR partition table (skip in case of GPT): disk/mbr -a /386/mbr /dev/sd00/data disk/mbr -a /386/mbr /dev/sd01/data You need to add a `plan9` partition to both disks, otherwise the installer will not see them (use `disk/edisk` in case of GPT): disk/fdisk -baw /dev/sd00/data disk/fdisk -baw /dev/sd01/data Now it is time to subdivide the plan9 partitions on both disks. We will then subpartition the cache, and worm disks: disk/prep -bw -a^(9fat nvram other fscache) /dev/sd00/plan9 disk/prep -bw -a fsworm /dev/sd01/plan9 ### Finally Start your installation as usual: select `cwfs64x` as your filesystem, skip partdisk and prepdisk. When going through the `mountfs` step, make sure to point to the right partitions on each function. More tips --------- [Create an encrypted bootable backup to an external USB drive](https://9lab.org/plan9/backup-to-external-usb-drive/)