ZFSBootMenu Installation Script

This script automates the installation and configuration of ZFSBootMenu on a Linux system from a live installation environment. It has been tested on Debian and sets up a ZFS root with EFI boot using ZFSBootMenu.

Prerequisites

• A live installation environment (e.g., Debian Live)
• A disk available for partitioning and installation (existing data will be erased)
• Network connection for downloading packages and files

Features

• Configures Debian repositories and installs necessary packages
• Creates and configures ZFS partitions and filesystems
• Sets up ZFSBootMenu for EFI boot
• Adds a user with sudo privileges and configures the system for basic usage

Usage

1. Run the Script
   Boot into your live environment, open a terminal, run the following to start the script

   sudo su # switches to root
   apt update
   apt upgrade
   apt install curl
   curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/NLaundry/zfsbootmenu-autoinstaller/main/setup-zfsbootmenu.sh
   chmod +x
   ./setup-zfsbootmenu.sh

2. Follow Prompts

   • The script will prompt you for:
     • Username and password for a new user
     • Root password
     • Hostname
     • Disk selection for the boot and pool partitions

3. Automatic Steps

   • The script will automatically:
     • Configure APT sources
     • Install required packages
     • Partition the selected disk
     • Create and configure ZFS pool and datasets
     • Set up a chroot environment
     • Install and configure ZFSBootMenu and EFI boot entries
     • Perform cleanup

4. Completion

   • After running, the system is ready to reboot into the new ZFSBootMenu setup.

Configuration

This script sets default variables for installation, including:

• BOOT_DISK: Device for the boot partition (default /dev/nvme0n1)
• POOL_DISK: Device for the ZFS pool (default /dev/nvme0n1)
• POOL_NAME: Name of the ZFS pool (default zroot)
• KERNEL_VERSION: The current kernel version, determined automatically

You can modify these defaults directly in the script if needed.

Important Notes

• Warning: This script will erase all data on the selected disk.
• Compatibility: This script has been tested on Debian. Usage on other distributions may require modifications.
• Network: Ensure a working internet connection, as the script will download packages.

Troubleshooting

• Permissions: Run the script with sudo to ensure it has the necessary permissions.
• Disk Selection: If no suitable disks are shown, confirm your disks are properly detected (lsblk can help).

License

This script is provided as-is. Feel free to modify and adapt it to suit your needs.