Users missing after reboot

[tonyfirshman]

The subject really says it all! After every boot I have to run adduser from bash to restore added ordinary users. Their /home/ directories remain intact.

 

[anmnz]

The subject really says it all! After every boot I have to run adduser from bash to restore added ordinary users. Their /home/ directories remain intact.

Yep. The authoritative source of user information on FreeNAS is the config database that is maintained through the UI. The files that "adduser" and the like modify are replaced on startup. Manage your users through the UI and your changes will survive a reboot.

 

[Chris Moore]

After every boot I have to run adduser from bash to restore added ordinary users.

You might be able to use the API, but using the command line to add users is not a supported method.

http://api.freenas.org/

 

[tonyfirshman]

OK I see. I spend my working life using bash, so find it hard ot force myself to use a GUI (#

However I get error for home directory:

• The path must reside within a volume mount point

... and I am only offered the /mnt/backup directory I have.

I suppose I have to mount /home

 

[Chris Moore]

You need to read the documentation for FreeNAS. Although it is based on BSD Unix, it is an appliance that has significant limitations implemented in the software. You can create a home directory, but it must be inside the storage pool and the storage pool is always mounted inside /mnt

 

[tonyfirshman]

I see.

I suppose I have to mount the /mnt/home directory using the GUI.
Using mkdir from bash works, but the directory is unusable from the GUI.

I cannot see where to 'mount' from the GUI.
i can see nothing in the obvious place - Storage -> Volumes

Oh for all the bash commands I am familiar with.

 

[Chris Moore]

I suppose I have to mount the /mnt/home directory using the GUI.
Using mkdir from bash works, but the directory is unusable from the GUI.

No, in the GUI, you need to create a dataset inside the storage pool and use that for the home directory. Don't do anything from the command line.

Did you read the manual?
https://www.ixsystems.com/documentation/freenas/11.2/storage.html#adding-datasets

 

[tonyfirshman]

Time is too short. For now I will simply create the user from bash, which works fine for my Macbook access.
I so rarely have to reboot.

It is a pity that the command line is so restricted.
It would be good to have both the GUI and a fully working command line.

Thanks though for your help.
Maybe I will have time to RTFM before I die (8 - )#

... and thanks for the link to the manual.
That is needed to translate "create a dataset inside the storage pool".
I can't find 'storage pool' anywhere in the GUI.

 

[Redcoat]

I can't find 'storage pool' anywhere in the GUI.

Ah - you are in the legacy GUI, I suspect. New GUI is Storage, Pools.
What version of FreeNAS are you running?

 

[tonyfirshman]

FreeNAS-9.10.2-U6 (561f0d7a1)

I had a look at 'Volume Manager' and that didn't have anything that looked relevant.
Seems even if I look at the manual link, that will not help!

 

[Redcoat]

Yes, that's the old GUI. Once a Volume is created, then you can create your Dataset or zvol as your example shows.

Chris's comments were using the new GUI Lingo - found in FreeNAS11 versions, where we actually have both available. See below for two versions of (roughly) the same info:

Legacy GUI

New GUI

 

[tonyfirshman]

Yes I went through that route much earlier in this thread.
How do I create a new volume /mnt/home ?

.... and I don't want 'tony' to be under /mnt/backup ( or /mnt/ada1 - which is in fact not possible)

I suspect I can't.

A link to the manual applicable to my version would be great (8 - )#
I have to add spaces to my *own* smiley as this editor thinks it knows best, and adds one with sunglasses inside!
Look at my picture and you will understand! Clever to get that from Google. I didn't add it.

The bottom line is I only need user 'tony' for scp copying and smb connect for my Macbook Time Machine.
All that works fine when I use bash - ie adduser, set up keys in /home/tony/.ssh/ and smbpasswd

The *only* drawback is losing the user (not /home/tony) at the (rare) reboot.

I used FreeNAS as I am no expert on setting up raids, and it provided an easy way.
I rashly assumed bash was 'normal'.

 

[SweetAndLow]

You can't just create /home and put user accounts there. Freenas is an appliance and expects everything to live in the zfs pool. My user home directors are in /mnt/tank/homes/username. This is just standard practice across the industry when it come to Nas solutions.

 

[Redcoat]

A link to the manual applicable to my version would be great (8 - )#

Hit the Document link on the masthead here and find in the top right-hand corner

 

[tonyfirshman]

Thanks.

 

[tonyfirshman]

You can't just create /home and put user accounts there. Freenas is an appliance and expects everything to live in the zfs pool. My user home directors are in /mnt/tank/homes/username. This is just standard practice across the industry when it come to Nas solutions.

What I have done from bash works! You should have written "shouldn't" (8 -) #
If I have time I will dig into the *vast* and only (it seems) online manual, and look for the proper way.
As I have only had to reboot twice in the last three years, it is not high priority.

Thanks though for pointing out the rules.....

 

[Chris Moore]

What I have done from bash works! You should have written "shouldn't" (8 -) #

The thing about doing it from bash, it may disappear when you reboot.

As I have only had to reboot twice in the last three years, it is not high priority.

If you are storing your data outside the ZFS Pool, it may disappear also.

Despite the fact that FreeNAS is software running on a Unix system, you can't treat is like a plain Unix system. That can lead to data loss.
We are trying to save you pain later by getting you do do the right thing now.

 

[tonyfirshman]

All my important data is in the zfs pool.

As I say, what I have works fine and I get perfect ssh/scp passwordless connections and smb works from my macbook. The data in /home/tony/.ssh has not been zapped so far at boot, but can easily be copied back.

One of these days I may have time to search the manual for how to add user tony properly and set up sshkeys and smb password.