Build failure when ZFS support is enabled

The attachment "patch for Makefile.util.def" seems to be a patch. If it isn't, please remove the "patch" flag from the attachment, remove the "patch" tag, and if you are a member of the ~ubuntu-reviewers, unsubscribe the team.

[This is an automated message performed by a Launchpad user owned by ~brian-murray, for any issues please contact him.]

Of course it's a patch :)

Here's an update:

Even with the posted patch that allows the build to succeed, not all FS tests succeed, in particular zfs_test. It fails with a TIME_FAIL error (which is probably benign as it appears to concern a subsecond difference).

I thus had to disable the build checks in order to be able to build my .deb packages.

Worse, update-grub2 will not generate a proper grub.cfg for ZFS roots:

{{{
menuentry 'Ubuntu' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-simple-b927688a3f8a6e13' {
recordfail
load_video
gfxmode $linux_gfx_mode
insmod gzio
insmod part_msdos
insmod btrfs
set root='hd2,msdos4'
if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd2,msdos4 --hint-efi=hd2,msdos4 --hint-baremetal=ahci2,msdos4 2def3c9f-2a12-41e0-911f-7de7cc142a99
else
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 2def3c9f-2a12-41e0-911f-7de7cc142a99
fi
linux /vmlinuz-3.13.9-ck1-kubuntu-ck-amdf10-rjvb root=ZFS=zPatux/ ro
initrd /initrd.img-3.13.9-ck1-kubuntu-ck-amdf10-rjvb
}
}}}
In other words, the required zfs modules are not loaded, and the kernel isn't informed about the fact it's booting off ZFS. A more correct entry should read:
{{{
menuentry 'Ubuntu' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-simple-b927688a3f8a6e13' {
recordfail
load_video
gfxmode $linux_gfx_mode
insmod gzio
insmod zfsinfo
zfs-bootfs ($root) bootfs
insmod part_msdos
insmod btrfs
set root='hd2,msdos4'
if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd2,msdos4 --hint-efi=hd2,msdos4 --hint-baremetal=ahci2,msdos4 2def3c9f-2a12-41e0-911f-7de7cc142a99
else
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 2def3c9f-2a12-41e0-911f-7de7cc142a99
fi
linux /vmlinuz-3.13.9-ck1-kubuntu-ck-amdf10-rjvb root=ZFS=zPatux/ ro boot=zfs $bootfs
initrd /initrd.img-3.13.9-ck1-kubuntu-ck-amdf10-rjvb
}
}}}
but even that gives an "invalid label" error upon boot and then tries to import the default pool name, rpool, instead of the right one.
For reference, here's a menuentry from a different system (using the exact same kernel) which boots OK:
{{{
menuentry 'LinuxMint GNU/Linux' --class linuxmint --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-simple-7c11ad880751a42a' {
load_video
gfxmode $linux_gfx_mode
insmod gzio
insmod zfsinfo
zfs-bootfs ($root) bootfs
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='hd0,msdos7'
if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd0,msdos7 --hint-efi=hd0,msdos7 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,msdos7 39ff79e1-e153-490f-b302-4ba8e71fe643
else
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 39ff79e1-e153-490f-b302-4ba8e71fe643
fi
linux /vmlinuz-3.13.9-ck1-kubuntu-ck-amdf10-rjvb root=ZFS=Patux/ ro boot=zfs $bootfs
initrd /initrd.img-3.13.9-ck1-kubuntu-ck-amdf10-rjvb
}
}}}

And finally, even when I import the right pool at the GRUB prompt and get the boot process to continue, it will halt (freeze, block) during the initial systemd run, typically during or just after mounting the in...

That last, freezing issue seems to be related to the use of the bcmwl broadcom STA driver. After purging that one and thus switching to the brcmsmac driver, the boot process proceeds normally. After importing the correct pool manually, that is.

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

Now that the bug is confirmed to affect multiple users, allow me to post the work-around I found, in hopes it will help address the issue.

I have installed grub-pc, grub-pc-bin, grub-common, grub2-common version 2.01-22debian1+zfs3-0.6.3-2~wheezy and zfs-initramfs version 0.6.3-0.27~21b446~wheezy, all downloaded manually from the zfsonlinux debian repository, and marked as held (apt-mark hold grub-pc ...).
In addition, I added zfsforce=1 to GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX in /etc/default/grub (I haven't checked if that's still required after the upgrade to zfs 0.6.3).

Finally, if one uses the root dataset (the one with the pool's name) for the root filesystem instead of a child dataset, one has to remove the trailing slash from the pool name after each update-grub. That's a confirmed issue @ZoL, one for which I do not know if a decision has been made yet.

This release of Ubuntu is no longer receiving maintenance updates. If this is still an issue on a maintained version of Ubuntu please let us know.

[Expired for grub2 (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]