[Bug 1843768] [NEW] [FFe] Ubiquity with zsys install option

[Jean-Baptiste Lallement]

Public bug reported:

Part of the 19.10 feature announcement is zfs experimental support in
the installer (https://ubuntu.com/blog/enhancing-our-zfs-support-on-
ubuntu-19-10-an-introduction). We modified ubiquity to present an
“EXPERIMENTAL” (with warning) ZSYS install option. This option is only
visible is zfsutils-linux is installed on the system. So, it won't be
available for derivatives that use ubiquity but do not seed zfsutils-
linux.

This option takes an entire disk and have a fix set of dataset
installed. There is no support but we need this to make an official
install option for the next LTS.

The patch has been created to be as minimal as possible. Partman does a
full disk partitioning, and then the script zsys-setup the first non-ESP
partition and replaces with zfs pools.

4 partitions are created:
1. if GPT partitioning: ESP partition. This one is done by partman directly.
2. bpool (for boot), pool with older zfs compatible version to be readable by grub)
3. rpool (for / and userdataset)
4. /boot/grub (ext4) to contain a single grub (NOTE: this could be later on moved to the ESP)

Additionaly if a swap file has been created by ubiquity, it is recreated
as a ZFS volume. If the script fails to execute, the final installation
is an ext4 installation on entire disk.

The script is doing the post-install of zsys (currently in universe, but
a MIR is opened:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/zsys/+bug/1839271 and it’s
pending security review).

Note that the implementation is slightly different from the
specification due to a difficult cohabitation with partman in the custom
partitioning page.

Consequently, in case the MIR doesn’t make the release, we still have an
“easy way” (once this code merged) for people to try zsys in the release
(apt install zfslinux-utils in live session and then start ubiquity). We
don’t install universe components by default unless requested/prompted
by this option (which is thus hidden by default until the MIR is acked).

Please find attached the MP on ubiquity as well as the package build
log.

** Affects: ubiquity (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New

** Merge proposal linked:
   https://code.launchpad.net/~jibel/ubiquity/+git/ubiquity/+merge/372690

** Description changed:

  Part of the 19.10 feature announcement is zfs experimental support in
  the installer (https://ubuntu.com/blog/enhancing-our-zfs-support-on-
  ubuntu-19-10-an-introduction). We modified ubiquity to present an
- “EXPERIMENTAL” (with warning) ZSYS install option.
+ “EXPERIMENTAL” (with warning) ZSYS install option. This option is only
+ visible is zfsutils-linux is installed on the system. So, it won't be
+ available for derivatives that use ubiquity but do not seed zfsutils-
+ linux.
  
  This option takes an entire disk and have a fix set of dataset
  installed. There is no support but we need this to make an official
  install option for the next LTS.
  
- The patch has been created to be as minimal as possible, letting partman
- doing a full disk partitioning, and then erasing first partition and
- replacing with zfs pools.
+ The patch has been created to be as minimal as possible. Partman does a
+ full disk partitioning, and then the script zsys-setup the first non-ESP
+ partition and replaces with zfs pools.
  
  4 partitions are created:
  1. if GPT partitioning: ESP partition. This one is done by partman directly.
  2. bpool (for boot), pool with older zfs compatible version to be readable by grub)
  3. rpool (for / and userdataset)
  4. /boot/grub (ext4) to contain a single grub (NOTE: this could be later on moved to the ESP)
+ 
+ Additionaly if a swap file has been created by ubiquity, it is recreated
+ as a ZFS volume. If the script fails to execute, the final installation
+ is an ext4 installation on entire disk.
  
  The script is doing the post-install of zsys (currently in universe, but
  a MIR is opened:
  https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/zsys/+bug/1839271 and it’s
  pending security review).
  
  However, the experimental install option only shows up if zfslinux-utils
  (which will be only seeded once zsys is in main) is available.
  
  Consequently, in case the MIR doesn’t make the release, we still have an
  “easy way” (once this code merged) for people to try zsys in the release
  (apt install zfslinux-utils in live session and then start ubiquity). We
  don’t install universe components by default unless requested/prompted
  by this option (which is thus hidden by default until the MIR is acked).
  
  Please find attached the MP on ubiquity as well as the package build
  log.

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1843768

Title:
  [FFe] Ubiquity with zsys install option

Status in ubiquity package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  Part of the 19.10 feature announcement is zfs experimental support in
  the installer (https://ubuntu.com/blog/enhancing-our-zfs-support-on-
  ubuntu-19-10-an-introduction). We modified ubiquity to present an
  “EXPERIMENTAL” (with warning) ZSYS install option. This option is only
  visible is zfsutils-linux is installed on the system. So, it won't be
  available for derivatives that use ubiquity but do not seed zfsutils-
  linux.

  This option takes an entire disk and have a fix set of dataset
  installed. There is no support but we need this to make an official
  install option for the next LTS.

  The patch has been created to be as minimal as possible. Partman does
  a full disk partitioning, and then the script zsys-setup the first
  non-ESP partition and replaces with zfs pools.

  4 partitions are created:
  1. if GPT partitioning: ESP partition. This one is done by partman directly.
  2. bpool (for boot), pool with older zfs compatible version to be readable by grub)
  3. rpool (for / and userdataset)
  4. /boot/grub (ext4) to contain a single grub (NOTE: this could be later on moved to the ESP)

  Additionaly if a swap file has been created by ubiquity, it is
  recreated as a ZFS volume. If the script fails to execute, the final
  installation is an ext4 installation on entire disk.

  The script is doing the post-install of zsys (currently in universe,
  but a MIR is opened:
  https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/zsys/+bug/1839271 and it’s
  pending security review).

  Note that the implementation is slightly different from the
  specification due to a difficult cohabitation with partman in the
  custom partitioning page.

  Consequently, in case the MIR doesn’t make the release, we still have
  an “easy way” (once this code merged) for people to try zsys in the
  release (apt install zfslinux-utils in live session and then start
  ubiquity). We don’t install universe components by default unless
  requested/prompted by this option (which is thus hidden by default
  until the MIR is acked).

  Please find attached the MP on ubiquity as well as the package build
  log.

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