Reinstall without config file backup please help

[JeffNJ]

Hello all,
I believe my usb stick went bad and now I am no longer able to boot up my FreeNAS. I looked in the BIOS and it shows the usb stick so I think the computer is physically ok. When I turn on the machine all I see is blinking cursor. I have searched for what to do now and I just want to confirm with all of you that this is what I should do. (most of the walk-throughs that I found were from many versions ago)
1. I believe I was running 9.3 and I did not backup my config file (I didn't know when I set up my machine last year that was possible).
2. I read that I need to reinstall the os on another usb stick the same way I originally did.
3. Once it is installed then I can auto import my pools
4. The files are quite important and I want to avoid losing any data.

A few questions:
1. What should I look out for when doing the install that will avoid loosing data? I have read the documentation from FreeNAS but most of it pertains to building a new machine. Do I follow the steps in the documentation for an update or a fresh install?
2. I had a few jails setup specifically for running a plex server. Will I need to reconfigure all of that again or is that recovered from auto importing the volumes? If I did have a backup of the config would that have saved all of those settings?
3. What things should I not do that would result in loosing data?
4. Are there any step by step walkthroughs that would be helpful for me? If there are not that many steps could someone provide them?

I am very nervous about doing this but I know it has to be done. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Jeff

 

[JohnDigital]

First off your data "should" be fine. Its residing safely on hard drives, nothing is on that usb but the freenas OS, and sadly your config. Someone with more experience here will chime in for the best way for you to go about this.. I suspect there is a possibility that the data might be accessible on that USB drive, but just wont boot?? If you can get to the data all you need to do is copy one file off of it. This might or might not be possible.

If you had a config backup you could literally install FreeNAS to a new USB drive restore the backup config and be up and running in about a half hour, like nothing ever happened. Look at it this way, you learned an important lesson. Config backups are so very very tiny (around 300kb). There is no excuse to not have 50 of them tucked away some where. Yes they hold all your share info, jail info, everything you have ever changed in FreeNAS is tucked away in there somewhere.

If it were me I would have FreeNAS reinstalled and have my pools imported. Id have everything reinstalled again from scratch, then id move my Plex metadata from the old location to the new.. Once you do all of this and do get it running correctly again, make a config backup, or better yet make one every night automatically via a cron script or do it manually, doesnt matter, just do it, often. In 100 years it might use a gigabyte of space.

I think you can rest relatively easy that your main data is fine. Worst case scenario, you may have to tinker with plex to get your metadata back into it, like Walter says to Dude, "nothing is *ucked here Dude.." Youll be ok.

 

[JeffNJ]

Thank you John for the reassurance. I hope someone does chime in about the actual process. Now that I know about the config file I will def back it up often and multiple times. I have a friend that is going to try and help me get the config file off of the usb stick but if it doesn't work I know it will take a lot of time to get me back to where I was :( . I will keep you all updated.

Jeff

 

[Robert Trevellyan]

I hope someone does chime in about the actual process

Avoid any kind of volume or pool setup wizard, to ensure there's no chance of wiping your existing pool. If you're super paranoid, leave all the data disks disconnected until the install is complete, the system has rebooted, and you're logged into the GUI and able to make changes.

 

[JohnDigital]

Avoid any kind of volume or pool setup wizard, to ensure there's no chance of wiping your existing pool. If you're super paranoid, leave all the data disks disconnected until the install is complete, the system has rebooted, and you're logged into the GUI and able to make changes.

Agree. With any luck you'll be able to pull that config off, and all will not be rotten in Denmark. Id definitely try that first. I think zfs is native now in the newest Parted Magic. It might be just enough for you to boot from a cd of it and see if you can read that usb drive. If you can it should be easy enough to copy the /boot/ folder from it to a different usb stick.

 

[Stux]

I believe, if the .system dataset is actually on your storage pool, that actually has the config in it.

 

[JohnDigital]

Pardon me, its actually /data/freenas-v1.db and not boot.. That is the file you want if at all possible...

 

[JeffNJ]

You guys are the best. I am going to try this this weekend. I thought the config file was on my usb. if it is on the storage pool that would be great. Thank you all for the comments. I really learned a serious lesson with this fail. I honestly didn't know about the config file until things went south. I guess I should have known enough to backup the usb image but lesson learned.

 

[JeffNJ]

Stux and john if I reinstall the os and auto import the pool will I have access to /data?

 

[Stux]

Yes

Then you can get the config (if your system dataset was on your storage pool) and reimport your previous setup.

 

[Robert Trevellyan]

I thought the config file was on my usb

The boot device is its primary location, but it's also backed up automatically to the system dataset, which for many scenarios is best moved to the main pool.

 

[JeffNJ]

Thank you all for your input. I will be doing this tomorrow. And Robert yes I think I might just be that paranoid to unplug all of the drives. That was a good idea. I will let you know how it goes.

 

[JeffNJ]

I am doing an upgrade correct not a fresh install when it asks?

 

[JeffNJ]

Actually no. I am using I more recent version of FreeNas but doing a clean install. Correct?

 

[JeffNJ]

Thank you all. I was successful in getting Freenas back up. I do see the config file in the pool under /data but I can not update from there and I do not see the FreeNas in the windows explorer under network. I see a ton of posts with no real answers to get that to work. Any suggestions?

1. getting the config file onto my windows machine so I can reinstall it from the web GUI?
2. Getting Freenas to show up in windows explore.

I am almost there. Thank you all again

 

[JeffNJ]

Update: I can now see my windows share..... in windows.
Still need to get that config file from /data. I am sure it is simple I just dont know how to transfer from the shell to windows

Jeff

 

[Robert Trevellyan]

In the shell, use the cp command to copy it to your Windows share.

 

[JeffNJ]

Having difficulty finding the address of the windows share. as far as I see I have it mapped as z: but cp freenas-v1.db z: doesn't seem to work. Am I not using the correct address for the shared folder?

 

[JohnDigital]

It doesnt work like that. What dataset is shared? You might be sharing /mnt/tank/media or something similar. You need to copy the file to whatever directory you have shared at the freenas CLI. It will be something like /mnt/TANK/dataset. so the command will read cp /data/freenas-v1.db /mnt/tank/myshare <----- This is the directory that sows up as Z in windows. Then once you copy it to the correct directory it will just magically be in the Z file on your windows machine. Then you can (from windows) login to freenas GUI select upload config, browse to Z:, select that file and voila.

 

[JeffNJ]

Wow yes that makes total sense. I feel like a complete noob even asking that. Thank you for the feedback John and everyone. I will try this tonight. I am wondering what config file this will be? There is only one. When I reinstalled the os did it create a new blank config?